2017 – DALLAS COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/04/12
Posted in: Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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LAST year…despite posting an NFC best 13-3 record, the Cowboys only managed to go 3-3 in the division. This time last year, there was no way for anyone to know that they would be propelled from the outhouse to the penthouse, behind the play of two rookies. One of whom was a QB pressed into starting, in place of (and ultimately unseating) long-time incumbent Tony Romo. (That was the first time I ever had to underline Romo’s name. Feels weird even looking at it.)

That was last year. The following is how the team looks today, prior to the Draft….

OFFENSE

QB:
Dak Prescott was the man last year. I mean how do you not like a 23:4 touchdown to interception ratio? How you not like a 104.9 passer rating? How do you not like a 67.8 completion percentage? From a rookie! Clearly he’s the future of the franchise, right? If he can do all that as a rookie, he’ll only get better from here, right? Right? Not so fast.

Here’s a piece of information that you won’t get anywhere but here. Eight games from last year cast a dark shadow on Prescott’s remaining career: NYG 1&2, WAS 1&2, PHI 1&2, GB regular season and Playoff game. In every case last year, Prescott was less effective in a second meeting with teams. So far every coaching staff to face Prescott once, managed to figure him out to a noticeable degree within the same year. (FYI: This was not the case with every rookie QB last year). This indicates that the league is adjusting to Prescott, faster than he is adjusting to the league. Given the simplicity of Dallas’ offensive system, that should be alarming to fans.

Look, he does have a calm nature about him, a very good arm, good mobility, (and great run game supporting him). All great traits. No one can deny his tools, and based on last year’s success, I have to say he’s a good QB today. As for what’s behind him, the safety net of Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo are gone. The Cowboys Plan B is Kellen Moore. Moore is more inexperienced than he is awful, but if pressed into duty, that won’t matter. (+)

RB:
Ezekiel Elliott ran for over 1,600 yards as a rookie, but the most important stat was that he lost only one fumble all year long. Just one. He did almost as good a job carrying the ball, as he did of carrying his QB. Behind Elliott are Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris. Morris made some noise early last year, but it soon became clear that he’d lost any trace of NFL level explosiveness. McFadden was given a one year deal for 2017. However, if Dallas drafts someone they like, expect McFadden to hit the bricks since less than 100K of his deal is guaranteed. Lance Dunbar is a nifty receiver, but he’s hardly a legit RB. Elliott is one of the best RB’s in the game right now, but everything else about this position is in ruins. That said, as long as Elliott is healthy, there is no other way to grade this position. (+)

WR:
I said last year, that without Romo, Dez Bryant seemed to evaporate. That was based on a 2015 season that saw both Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams post career numbers. True, the Cowboys had injury issues in 2015 (which included Bryant), but no similar excuse can be applied to 2016. For a second straight year, Bryant has seemed like a former Top 10 WR. The big dog in Dallas now seems to be the nugget-sized Beasley, who led the team both in catches (75) and receiving yards (833), despite only starting 6 games. Williams on the other hand, started 15 of the 16 games he played, and still had the worst year of his career. This receiver corps is experienced, but it’s a shadow of the position it used to be under Romo, and they have added no help so far. (-)

TE:
I’m a Jason Witten fan. Not even closeted about it. Right now it seems that 70 catches, 700 yards and 3 TD’s per year are still his for the asking. At least on paper. Watching him play last year it was clear that he hadn’t found the Fountain of Youth, but that he was plugging along. It would be foolish to say that he can’t still act as the stabilizer in this offense, going into year 15. That said, when the wheels fall off they fall off suddenly. I still think he can play, but he really should have walked away after 2016. Behind Witten are James Hanna, Geoff Swaim, and Rico Gathers. Hanna is the reason that guys like Swaim and Gathers (who wouldn’t make most NFL rosters) have chance at starting if Witten gets hurt. Swaim is a 7th round pick drafted to block for the run game. Gather’s declaration that he is the heir apparent to Witten, is the funniest thing he’ll ever say in his life. This position is valid as long as Witten is okay, but if he has to miss any time… the Cowboys entire offense will go into an ugly tailspin. (+)

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OL:
RT Doug Free retired and G Ronald Leary left to join the Broncos. Granted, this is a massive shake-up, but it’s far from insurmountable. In fact, if I were to arrange the Cowboys offensive line myself, just from what they already have, it would be cake. (l-r) Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, Travis Frederick, Zach Martin, and whomever wins the job between Byron Bell, and Chaz Green. Even as a rival fan, I can tell you they have plenty of options. Oh, and did I mention there’s a Draft coming up? (+)

In a nutshell:

It’s hard to argue against their youth, offensive line, and last year’s stats, but there is something very unsettling about this unit. It wouldn’t take much to unravel it from a few different positions. On almost every team there is a fall-off in talent behind a Starter, but for this team, all of the fall-offs are precipitous. Everything must remain perfect for this unit to not regress in 2017. There is no Ronald Leary to replace an injured La’el Collins this year. There will be no Tony Romo or Mark Sanchez waiting in the wings if Dak Prescott stumbles. I won’t even mention the RB position. Still, the Cowboys offense can be nearly as good as they were last season. As long as no one gets hurt all year long. (+)

DEFENSE

DE:
Randy Gregory is suspended for 2017. So at the moment, 2017’s starting DE’s look like Tyrone Crawford and Benson Mayowa. Crawford isn’t really a DE, but he had to fill in there last year, and so far the Cowboys have added no better solutions. Also, his 4.5 sacks (3rd on the team) don’t hurt his chances of starting again. Mayowa came on strong at the end of 2016, as he collected 4 of his team-leading 6 sacks in the last 5 games (4 of which were starts). The Cowboys may have found a pass rusher, but it comes at the expense of a run defender, since at 240 pounds, Mayowa hasn’t proven difficult to drive off the line.

Under the radar is Charles Tapper, a 4th round pick from 2016 who didn’t play a snap last year, due to a congenital birth defect in his spine. Apparently he was treated(?) for it and is looking to make his debut this year. They also (for some reason) signed Damontre Moore. If Dallas doesn’t get a stud DE in the Draft this position will haunt them for 17 agonizing weeks. (-)

DT/NT:
Maliek Collins as a rookie in 2016, was second on the team with 5 sacks. Losing Terrell McClain wouldn’t mean much to most teams, but it’s a huge loss for this one. Candidates to fill the void he left include, Stephen Paea, David Irving, and former Eagle Cedric Thornton. Thornton was signed last year to unseat McClain, but ended up not starting a single game. This year since McClain isn’t there, you have to figure that Thornton may have a chance at the spot again. (-)

OLB:
It would be nice to just say “Hey, this position is all good”, but this team just won’t let you have that. Sean Lee for years was a heck of a playmaker when he was healthy. The problem was keeping him healthy. Well last year he was healthy all season long with 15 starts and 1 game of rest, prior to the playoffs. He racked up 145 tackles, which was almost 60 more than the next closest Cowboy. The downside is that since moving from ILB, he is far less effective in pass coverage and offers no value as a pass rusher on the edge.

On the other side, the hope is that 2016 rookie Jaylon Smith can perform at a high level, despite suffering from a damaged nerve in his knee, that causes him to have Foot Drop. Dallas is trying to offset the Foot Drop with a lower leg brace to keep the toes of Smiths foot from dragging the ground. Depth behind him is almost non-existent. Kyle Wilbur is a glorified Special Teamer with 16 starts in 73 games over a 5 year career, and Damien Wilson is just some guy. (-)

M/ILB:
Anthony Hitchens is no great shakes, but given his situation as a 235 pound MLB, who’s defensive line doesn’t keep offensive linemen off of him, you have to be impressed with what he manages to get done. Behind Hitchens the most experienced man is John Lotulelei. Completely out of football in both 2014 and 2016, started just 2 of his 18 career games, and racked up all of 12 tackles in the process. (I’m wondering how many Cowboys fans didn’t realize that it was quite this bad.) (-)

S:
FS Byron Jones was the Cowboys second leading tackler last year, but he’ll have to step up and become the mentor for two youngsters in Jeff Heath and Kavon Frazier. Between these three Safeties there are 28 career starts, 27 of which belong to Jones alone. This group is wet behind the ears and not very talented to start with. The Cowboys are going to need some strong Cornerback play to offset this weakness. (-)

CB:
Once again the Cowboys raided the Eagles garbage can for a player in CB Nolan Carroll. Apparently they didn’t learn the lesson last year with Cedric Thornton. To be fair, there are some positive aspects of Carroll’s game. He’s a good man press corner for short routes. He’s a decent tackler for his position. If he picks off the ball, he looks to score with it. The only problems are that he can be handsy and has trouble covering receivers. Those are his only drawbacks. Anthony Brown figures to build on a solid though not spectacular rookie year. Orlando Scandrick is a solid veteran who plays well in the Nickle and can even hop outside as long as you don’t lean on him there. (-)

In a nutshell:

Bad drafting and Free Agent defections have decimated this unit. Even Stephen Jones has said that the defense is now worse off. They are weak at practically every tier, with weaknesses in one position that threaten to expose or exacerbate weaknesses in other positions. This defense is what happens when you spend good money on things, without really looking into them first. (-)

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SPECIAL TEAMS

P:
What can you say about Chris Jones in 2016? He sported a 45.9 yard average on his punts, with 40.5 of that being net yards. Fewer than 200 return yards allowed on his punts all season long, and a 30 yard run on a trick play, too boot. This is how you help your team win the field position/hidden yardage battle. (+)

K:
Dan Bailey saw his accuracy drop 9.4% from 93.8 to 84.4, as he missed five FG’s last year. He hadn’t missed that many in one season since his rookie year. It’s nothing to be alarmed over, but it is something to keep an eye on. 2016 was just an off year. Until he proves otherwise, he’s still one of the best in the game. (+)

RS:
The Cowboys seemed be phoning it in on returns last year. There wasn’t a single return (punt or kickoff) for longer than 39 yards. WR Lucky Whitehead‘s KR average of 23.2 yards, makes me wonder why they’d risk anything other than a fair catch. Speaking of which, a PR average of 7.8 yards doesn’t go with a 25:6 return to fair catch ratio. If you’re going to be aggressive and risk the ball, do it in a good cause. The Cowboys looked for a number of solutions last year, but no one proved explosive enough. In two years Whitehead has shown initiative, but he apparently doesn’t have the eyes for the job. (-)

In a nutshell:

Dallas has been better on Special Teams, but they are carried by an extremely reliable Kicker and Punter who helps them win the field position battle. If they could threaten in the return game, this unit would be the envy of many teams. (+)

Bottom Line:

This is a team in transition that caught fire in 2016. Now in 2017, with almost none of of the internal pieces needed to sustain that sort of success, they will be expected to not only deliver it again, but improve on it. Offensively they may be as productive as last season. Provided everyone stays healthy. Defensively they are going to catch all manner of hell, as 2/3 of their division rivals have made a point of making their offenses more dangerous.

2017 WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/04/11
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Redskins_logo_by_junkfunkio-d4po4ge

LAST year…The Redskins finished 8-7-1 overall, and 3-3 against the division, while allowing a division worst 383 points. The original idea was to build on winning the division in 2015 behind their 9-7 record. Instead, 2016 saw the ‘skins hit a number of bumps in the road. Many of those problems were self-inflicted wounds from a team that bought into their own hype.

That was last year. The following is how the team looks today, prior to the Draft….

OFFENSE

QB:
Good news ‘skins fans! Kirk Cousins didn’t go to San Francisco, and you leased him for another year! That means that the ‘skins have a reliable QB. At least for the 2017 season. This is more than some teams (like San Francisco) can currently boast right now. Who knows who the 49ers may sign next year, right? So at least in this regard the ‘skins are okay. In 2017 at least. The concern comes in the form of Cousins’ chemistry with his revamped receiving corps, and whether he’s even interested in developing such a thing with new players on this team. For reasons that will unfold as you keep reading, he may spend 2017 thinking about his next team in San Fr- As far as depth, Colt McCoy is a proven, veteran back-up. (+)

RB:
Matt Jones began the season as the Starter, then he got hurt in Week 7, missed Weeks 8 and 9, was deactivated Week 10, and then demoted to 3rd string. He would never play another down for the remainder of 2016. The guy who took over for him is Rob Kelley, who came on with fresh legs, and he played like gangbusters. For a couple of weeks, that is. Then he came back down to Earth as the one dimensional, downhill runner that he is. They also have Chris Thompson who used to be the 3rd string, but now is ahead of Jones, who used to be the Starter. They have no idea what they’re doing there. (-)

WR:
Last year the ‘skins boasted two WR’s (Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson) who went over 1,000 yards. Today both players are on other rosters. Bright spot Jamison Crowder did grab nearly 70 balls for over 800 yards in 2016. Of course some of that had to do with the room created by teams respecting Jackson’s deep speed. Crowder may find 2017 more…crowded. This year’s bunch also includes second year man Josh Doctson, QB-turned-WR Terrelle Pryor, and former Ram Brian Quick. Pryor himself caught 77 balls for over 1,000 yards last year, in Cleveland. There is some talent here, but this group won’t scare anybody. (-)

Terrelle Pryor

TE:
This team is set at this position. Jordan Reed is more of a receiver than a blocker, but his prowess as a receiver keeps teams from loading the box. That means Washington is able to run the ball, regardless of whether or not he’s on the field. (Yes, you did detect a note of envy.) Behind him the team has Vernon Davis, who found the Fountain of Youth last season. This team has no worries here. (+)

OL:
The ‘skins return all five Starters from a unit that allowed only 23 sacks and managed to carve out 4.5 yards per rush, from a stable of underwhelming RB’s. I’d give this unit two pluses if it wouldn’t be a violation of protocol. (+)

In a nutshell:

Man, oh man. What none of these positional breakdowns can tell you is, this franchise is drowning in dysfunction. They fired their GM on the doorstep of Free Agency ‘s beginning, and given their player losses, it’s clear that his firing has had a negative impact already. What remains is a mixed bag. On offense they have a really good offensive line, protecting a QB who is likely eying the door. Cousins must be thrilled about losing two 1,000 yard receivers, and having them replaced with question marks, (in what for him, is yet another contract year). Had he known that was going to happen, he may not have agreed to let Washington rent his body for another year. Their decision to keep a RB on the roster that they demoted, and then made a healthy scratch for over half the season was priceless. An absolute stroke of genius. Or maybe just the result of a stroke. This unit is clearly less than it was a year ago. Barring brain damage, even the most devout ‘skins fan would have to admit that. Nice TE’s though. (-)

DEFENSE

DE:
This position is a mess. The loss of Chris Baker has left the cupboard bare at DE. Ziggy Hood is the anchor right now at this position, which has to be depressing for anyone who genuinely cares about this team. Former Temple Owl Matt Ioannidis, (barring a draft pick here), has to be the guy in line to step into the void left by Baker, even though Ionaiddis is more of a DT. There’s also a guy named Anthony Lanier, who can now be glad that something (this article) comes up when he Googles his name. (-)

DT/NT:
So many bodies at this position and– Hey! Wanna hear a joke? Phil Taylor is on this roster. Phil Taylor…Yeah, him. The former Brown who can’t stay healthy and hasn’t played a down since 2014. That guy. Washington is giving him money for some reason. They also poached(?) Terrell McClain from the Cowboys, and Stacy McGee from the Raiders. Between the two, they recorded 24 starts, 57 tackles and 5 sacks last year. (Shrug.) There is also A.J. Francis who seems to specialize in getting cut from teams. Odds are strong that all of these guys will see time being moved around between NT and DE, to see who gives the team the lowest failure rate in each position, along the ‘skins three man defensive line. (-)

OLB:
I like Ryan Kerrigan. I wish he could be a very good DE in a 4-3, instead of being a one-dimensional OLB in a 3-4. He of course was the model of reliability with his 6th straight year of 16 starts, while tossing in 11 sacks for good measure. On the other side, second year man Preston Smith also started 16 games but notched just 4.5 sacks. Trent Murphy didn’t log a start all year, but notched 9 sacks, which was 3 more than his prior career total of 6. What’s disturbing is that not one of these players reached 50 tackles, and in a combined 48 starts, there were only 6 pass break-ups, and 1 interception between them. This position is staffed by players who are more like DE’s and less like true OLB’s, ultimately trading effectiveness for statistics (i.e. sacks). It is this position’s one-dimensional nature that is really keying the ‘skins slide. (-)

M/ILB:
Mason Foster was a tackling machine last year, pulling down a career high 124. Will Compton added 106 stops of his own. If the stops are there to make, you have to give the players credit for making them. (Though it does raise the question of why so few stops get made by the line.) They also added Free Agent Zach Brown, so I’m guessing that Compton will now serve as depth or play situationally on the outside. Rookie Su’a Cravens filled in for three starts missed by Foster last season, and came nowhere close to filling his shoes out there (thus the addition of Brown). Cravens’ small frame may be ill-suited for finding a starting role in the defensive scheme currently favored by this team. His best days may be a coaching staff away. (+)

S:
This may be the worst Safety corps in the NFL. While Duke Ihenacho and Donte Whitner weren’t great, losing them without replacing them leaves the ‘skins relying on a bunch of question marks and whatever is left of CB turned FS, DeAngelo Hall. If you’re a giants, Cowboys, or Eagles fan, this is great! If you root for the ‘skins… you have to be hoping for a Safety in the first round. (-)

CB:
Between Josh Norman being moved around to protect him from having to cover #1 wideouts, and with Bashaud Breeland being beat like a dusty rug, it seems easy to give this position a failing mark. Funny thing is, other sports outlets (PPF, Fox Sports, etc.) seem to view them favorably. This only seems funnier when you realize it’s a steep amount of praise for two players who keyed a 25th ranked pass defense. (But what do I know, right?) Kendall Fuller looks like he’ll be the Nickel again. Unless he’s unseated by Tharold Simon or Quinton Dunbar. (Yeah, me neither.) In my heart of hearts, I think this is a subpar unit. However, as gesture of humility, I won’t post my (-). Instead I will post the grade set by “professional evaluators”. However, it’ll be interesting to see whom fans think was right, at the conclusion of the 2017 season. (+)

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In a nutshell:

This was a bad unit that was made worse through key losses. It would be different if veterans were jettisoned to make way for promising youth, or if the Redskins had a bunch of early round draft picks, but that isn’t the situation. This situation is so bad that I just posted someone else’s ranking of a position, because it won’t mean dick to the overall unit’s outcome. It’s a one-dimensional group of sack hunters, that can be had easily on the edges. Without a ball control offense to hide behind, Washington’s defense is going to get skinned in 2017. (-)

SPECIAL TEAMS

P:
Tress Way regressed for the second straight year in a row. Average punt, longest punt, net average… all of these came down again for him. Luckily, he only needed to punt 49 times last year (vs 70 times in 2015, and 77 in 2014). What was alarming however is the percentage of his punts that were returned last year. 49 punts vs 27 returns (55%), vs 2015’s 70 punts and 30 returns (42%). The more opportunities he provides opponents, the more likely it could cost the ‘skins. (-)

K:
Dustin Hopkins saw his FG accuracy tumble by more than 8 points (89.3 to 81.0), and missed 3 extra points on the year. Novice fans would say that he’s just a Kicker, but those kicks win and lose games. Their loss last year to the Lions and their tie with the Bengals are two examples that very thing. (-)

RS:
This is where it gets a little weird. Jamison Crowder would seem to have a lock on the PR spot, but that’s only if they screw him over at #1 WR, a spot which he earned last year. Trying to make him do both will only grind him into dust. As for KR, five guys across 16 games got a shot at the job, and as a team they amassed a meager 570 yards. Not a dangerous unit. (-)

In a nutshell:

Special Teams across the board took a tumble for this team. This all but screams a lack of emphasis by the coaching staff. Seeing as there was no competition brought in at either K or P, you have to assume that the ‘skins have decided to live with what they have. This is not the way you inspire improvement. (-)

Bottom Line:

There is far more wrong with this team, than there is right with it. Had they let Cousins leave, they’d at least be able to claim that they were rebuilding. Instead, Washington remains a team with high external expectations, that is rotting internally. Expect them to be a 6 win team this year.

2017 NEW YORK GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/04/10
Posted in: Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

new-york-giants-champs-jeff-stein

LAST year…The giants went 4-2 in the division and improved from 6-10, to 11-5 and a playoff appearance. The 284 points they allowed were the lowest in the division, but they also posted the fewest scored with only 310. Still, rookie head coach Ben McAdoo seemed to hit the ground running.

That was last year. The following is how the team looks today, prior to the Draft….

OFFENSE

QB:
Eli Manning is the unquestioned starter for this team. Last year, (for the seven millionth year in a row) he started all 16 games and threw for 4,000 yards. His 2015 numbers were so close to his 2014 numbers that it borders on creepy. After two consistent years in Ben McAdoo’s offense, it’s safe to assume 4,400 yards, 30 TD’s and 14 Ints from Manning. Behind Manning sits Maytag repairman, Ryan Nassib. (+)

I wrote that about this position last year, and in 2016 Manning posted 4,027 yards. 26 TD, and 16 picks. He’s clockwork. Geno Smith crossed the hallway to what has to be a better situation for both him and the giants That is, provided that Smith doesn’t owe any teammates any money. (+)

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RB:
Okay so at the moment Paul Perkins looks like the guy they’re going with in 2017. They can’t be serious about that because not only is Perkins not built to be a primary back (208lbs), but his longest run in 112 carries last year, was for 22 yards. In 127 touches he didn’t manage to find paydirt even once. Shane Vereen is returning from injuring the same triceps twice in one season. That has to raise concerns about his ability to catch passes, if he can’t reliably extend his arm. FYI: Vereen has more receiving yards and scores, than rushing yards and scores, to this point in his career. Catching passes is the cornerstone of his game. The remaining RB’s are just guys at this point. The departure of Rashad Jennings seems to indicate that at some point N.Y. will draft a RB high this year. (-)

WR:
Last year it was Odell Beckham and whatever was left of Victor Cruz. This year it’s Beckham and whatever is left of Brandon Marshall. Beckham is talented, but is a headcase. Given Marshall’s diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, you have to wonder if working closely with someone like Beckham is the right thing for him. When you add the pressure of playing in a tougher division, and for the team that New York fans and media actually care about… Given the obvious decline in his durability and skills, it doesn’t seem like a good look for Marshall at all. Slot receiver Sterling Shepard gives Manning a nifty place to go with the ball in the red zone, but he’s less of an every down threat and far more of a situational player. This group can be explosive in one of two ways, and one way could wreck the entire team, not just the offense. (-)

TE:
Last year I said that Will Tye would be a disappointment and that’s exactly what happened. So the giants went out and upgraded, right? Wrong. Well maybe. It depends on what their plan is. They added former Viking, Rhett Ellison. He isn’t exactly a weapon as a receiver, but is an accomplished blocker. His signing may signal that the team is tweaking their expectation of the position. If that’s true then my evaluation of this position may be suspect this year. (Yeah, I can admit that.) I can’t give a position that may be in flux a passing grade, but I am by no means taking a hard line on this overall grade. (-)

OL:
Pass protection improved again as last year Manning was sacked just 21 times, as opposed to 27 the year before. The downside was the yards per rush dropping from 4 yards per crack to just 3.5. To address that, former Charger RT D.J. Fluker was signed. Fluker can be exposed in pass pro, but can be an absolute mauler in the run game. (+)

In a nutshell:

The right side of the offensive line is screaming that something fundamental just shifted in the New York offense. The addition of Fluker and Ellison more than hint at the giants looking to be more physical. One of the last things the NFC East needs is Eli Manning behind a power running game. Currently the giants lack the RB needed to pull this all together, but this Draft is loaded with guys who’d easily fit that role. While this offense is full of holes, it could be patched enough for another playoff berth, despite a tougher schedule this year. That being said, due to a host of personality conflicts, getting this unit on one page may be the hardest part of McAdoo’s job. (-)

DEFENSE

DE:
Jason Pierre-Paul (7.0 sacks) and Olivier Vernon (8.5) are the giants pass rush. I said they would be competent but not great, and that’s what happened. There are a few bodies here, but not much that you would call depth in the event that JPP or Vernon were out for a game or three. (+)

DT/NT:
This position was a pillar for this team last year but without Johnathan Hankins in the middle, they are gonna have problems. It will be easier to consistently double-team Damon Harrison, as Jay Bromely lacks the power to assist there. Not only will they find it harder to defend the run, but the pass rush is likely going to suffer. At the moment Hankins is a Free Agent so he could very well end up back on the team. However if it were that easy, he likely wouldn’t have tested Free Agency to begin with. (-)

OLB:
Jonathan Casillas was his usual, consistent self last year. He made tackles. Devon Kennard also made a few tackles. In fact, you might say that Kennard made too few (61), given that he started 9 of the 16 games he played. Remember Pepper Johnson and Carl Banks? Even today, if you say “LT” everyone knows who you’re talking about. Today if you mention the words “giants linebacker” or one by name, no one even shrugs. (-)

M/ILB:
Unani Unga, Keenan Robinson and Kelvin Sheppard. Last year they were all chasing the starting job. Today only Robinson (who just re-signed) is on the roster. He made 6 starts last year, so odds are that he’ll get the nod over Deontae Skinner. However, the lack of interest Robinson generated as a Free Agent is not to be overlooked. (-)

S:
In 2016 SS Landon Collins had 125 tackles, 5 picks and 4 sacks. Jesus! If they had a second Safety to go with him, this position would be scary. FS Andrew Adams has to be graded on curve due to having been a rookie. They also added a couple guys whose resumes seem to only consist of being cut by Seattle. Other than Collins, there doesn’t seem like much to be excited over. It literally is an “avoid this one, pick on the rest” situation here. Until that changes, there is no way even ardent fans of this team can sign-off on this position. (-)

CB:
The giants started 3 corners for much of 2016 and it seemed to work well for them. “Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a total flake, but he’ll hurt you if you get careless with the ball around him”. I said that last year, and DRC proved my point with 6 picks in 2016. Janoris Jenkins chipped in with 3 thefts. Native Philadelphian and lifelong Eagles fan, Eli Apple started 11 games as a rookie. This trio gives the giants a measure of depth that they lacked going into last season. This position has come up. (+)

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In a nutshell:

In spite of an appalling lack of depth on this side of the ball, the giants defense played pretty well last year. They established things to build on. Then they lost some key starters to compound a still existing depth issue. They lost their key DT and there is no MLB. You can’t see it, but there is a huge sucking wound in the middle of this defense. Like a black hole, it will negatively impact everything surrounding it. Barring a Draft miracle, a surprise trade, or Johnathan Hankins caving on his salary demands, you can expect this to be a bottom ranked unit in 2017. (-)

SPECIAL TEAMS

P:
For a second straight year Brad Wing made improvements in both his punting average and his net average. His Fair Caught to Returned Punts ratio gives reason for concern though. In 2015 it was 21 : 30, in 2016 it skyrocketed to 16 : 37. That may be why so many of his punts were finding their way out of bounds. Last year he put 12 OOB, which his more than twice what his career total was (5) until last year. He’s still getting the job done, but he looks like he may have been rattled on some level. (+)

K:
Tom Obarski. An untested, 177 pound Kicker, cutting his NFL teeth kicking against NY/NJ ocean wind, in front of NY fans and their rivals. He may one day be a household name, but as of today, he’s a liability. (-)

I wrote that last year, but Obarski didn’t kick for N.Y. last year. Instead that job was split between Josh Brown and Robbie Gould. Neither is a giant today. Today the only Kicker on the roster is Aldrick Rosas. An untested, 195 pound Kicker, cutting his NFL teeth kicking against NY/NJ ocean wind, in front of NY fans and their rivals. He may one day be a household name, but as of today, he’s a liability. (-)

RS:
In 2015 WR Dwayne Harris brought back both a punt and a kickoff for TD’s, while averaging 10.0 and 28.7 yards per return, respectively. Beyond Harris there isn’t much help in either category, and with him also entertaining fantasies of being a real WR, you have to wonder how effective Pinocchio will continue to be as a returner. I have to give this a plus grade now, but that could (and likely will) go off a cliff real fast if Harris splits time as the #2 WR.

I said that last year, and the result was that Harris sucked both as a WR and as RS. Then again so did anyone else they let do the job. (-)

In a nutshell:

The giants clearly don’t think much of special teams and that will likely cost them not only the hidden yardage game, but some games outright next year. There has been no change to their Special Teams coaching since 2007 (Tom Quinn) nor a player brought in to help with a weak unit. (-)

Bottom Line:

The giants went to the playoffs last year, and were quickly shown THE DOOR. They had no business being there and everyone knew it. All indications are that they will fall back to Earth in 2017. They have some pieces on offense, but their defense and special teams are a mess. I always say about the giants, that they will be as good as the rest of the division lets them be. This year it seems every team in the division besides N.Y. has something to prove. So I wouldn’t count on the level of generosity that the giants benefited from last year.

THE 12: #12 MAKE HOWIE’S DOING MATTER

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/03/30
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), Players, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE122017#12

WHEN Howie Roseman is screwing up, we let him know about it, and rightfully so. As fans that’s part of what we’re required to do to keep up our end. There is however, another part that we aren’t so good at. When Howie gets it right, we tend to be damned quiet about giving the man his due credit. As of today, that has to change, and by the time you finish this article, you’ll want to make sure it does.

This franchise is trying to get back to where it was from 2000 to 2008. Back then, we were amongst the powerhouse teams in the NFL. We were part of every serious conversation about who would win it all during those years. Now, after almost a decade as a fringe team, the Eagles Front Office has decided to bite the bullet and do what I’ve been screaming for since I was still writing on YardBarker, back in 2009. Whatever they choose call it, or however they want to brand it, the Eagles are rebuilding.

The last time the Eagles rebuilt it was done without fan input. Remember when so many people wanted RB Ricky Williams but the Eagles instead drafted QB Donovan McNabb? Remember how fans reacted? Today McNabb is the greatest QB in franchise history, and many local (let me stress the word local) fans still shrug over it. This is why the F.O. ignores us. If all we can or will do is complain, they have every reason to tune us out.

On the other hand, we screamed and screamed for them to get McNabb a WR while they flat out ignored us. When they finally did get McNabb that WR, what happened? We went to the Super Bowl that same year, and McNabb had the best year of his entire career. No other season even comes close. Eagles fans are frequently called by announcers “the most knowledgeable fan base in the league”. Maybe F.O. would be wise to listen to us here and there. Conversely, maybe we should focus on saying something worth hearing.

When Roseman gets it wrong we need to be vocal, but we need to be equally as vocal when he gets it right. It would represent a change in fan type that the F.O. would have to look into. Even if only (at first) to better understand how to adjust their marketing strategies.

So how do we do it? Get on WIP just as you always have, but find something to also praise, when you issue your next complaint about Roseman or Owner Jeffery Lurie. Mention a guy who’s jersey you wouldn’t mind seeing on your kids. Talk about why you don’t want certain types of players on this team. Go to the Eagles Message Boards (that I’m still banned from), and do these same things.

Elevate the discussion so that it literally pays for them to listen to you, and make it cost them to ignore you. Make it clear that ignoring you has a negative impact. If not on the roster, then at the very least on the team’s bottom line.

Fellow fan, you can help this rebuild. You can be a part of steering the Eagles. Yes you can. But to do that, something has to change, and it has to, starting today.

THE 12: #11 TAKE IT EASY, CARSON

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/03/28
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THE122017#11

LAST season QB Carson Wentz (hopefully) learned a valuable lesson: While he may have been considered athletic in college, he does not possess the speed to routinely beat NFL players (even some DE’s) to the edge on bootlegs. This sounds like a knock at first, but really it isn’t. The idea isn’t to tell Wentz not to run. That would be insane. The idea is to tell him to run for cheap yards.

For example, we’ve all seen plays where a QB drops back to pass, the pocket splits in front of him, and the MLB isn’t there. On 1st or 2nd and 10, or on 3rd and 5 and similar, those are perfect downs for a Wentz to run 4 yards, dive for the last 1, and be tagged down where he won’t take any punishment. First down! Or he does take a shot while on the ground, it’s an extra 15 for a hit that 99.97% of the time won’t result in an injury. Running for cheap yards is can’t miss.

Since Wentz isn’t seen as a dangerous “running QB” he should be coached to look for that run. Not just reminded of it, but encouraged to take it if he sees it. Yeah, it’s less exciting than throwing a 20 yard strike, but if he can steal a guaranteed 1st down with a quick 5 yard run, then screw the 20 yard pass and run the damned ball!

For almost three decades now, I have always wondered why my team seems obsessed with doing everything the hard way. For once, I’d like to be one of those teams that figures out a cheap and easy way to make life horrible, just absolutely horrible, week in and week out for our opponents.

THE 12: #10 TACKLE VS STRIP

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/03/27
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, NFL, Rants. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THE122017#10

TACKLING is becoming a lost art, in the one sport that actually rewards it. There have always been players who prefer shoulder hits to wrapping up, and so they miss tackles. All these recent rules designed to help prevent head injuries have not helped either, as they result in more and more defensive players grabbing to avoid penalties, or making “business decisions” trying to avoid getting hurt themselves. The biggest thing I think that has hurt tackling though, is this thing where defenders are holding up the ball-carrier, whilst trying to wrestle/rip/claw the ball away from him.

Look, I get it. Turnovers kill drives, pad stats, and make resumés look better for defensive players and defensive coaches come contract time. No one is suggesting that we should never chase turnovers, but there are moments when it’s more important to just put the man on the ground. Unfortunately, I get the idea that Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz would disagree with me on that.

We Eagles fans have witnessed far too many instances (usually early in games), where an opposing offensive player (not yet tired or beat up), fights for that last 1 to 3 yards and makes the first down, because we had one or two guys clawing at the ball instead of stopping the ball-carrier.

Early in games, you want to play sound football and end drives. Don’t help your opponent sustain drives. It only tires out your defense and keeps your own offense sitting down. Strip attempts work best against tired arms, against players suffering from dehydration, against players who are already taking extended breathers between downs, or against opponents who are fighting to make something happen when their team is down late in games. However, if you give the farm away early, you won’t really see many of these favorable opportunities set up for you.

Early in games just get ’em down. Stop looking for a knockout in the first quarter. Just play good solid football. Look for those strips later in games, when they become pivotal, harder to come back from, and most importantly, more likely to happen. 

THE 12: #9 DISRUPTION UP FRONT

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/03/25
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, NFL, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE122017#9

WHAT if we can do better at DT ? The possibility of losing Bennie Logan got me to wondering who’d replace him if he goes. The knee jerk answer was of course DT Beau Allen, who filled in for Logan in 2016 when he was injured for a couple games. During that time however, Allen was “just a guy”. It reminded us of why we needed Logan so much. However, after I gave it some more thought, I found myself faced with a question: Do we really need Bennie Logan?

THAT was written before Logan became a Chief. It was supposed to be the original open for this article. Then things happened how they happened. 

I’m glad I had already asked myself that question. Had I not already been considering it, Logan not re-signing might have concerned me deeply. As luck would have it, I’m pretty sure we’re good. Not to dump on Bennie (because he’s a good soldier), but the question was worth asking. The answer is: “No, we don’t need him. We’re going to be fine.”

Logan is not the difference maker, he’s the rock in the middle vs the run, who absorbs blockers so that others can make plays. He doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher, but that’s really not his game. He’s a good guy, but what he does is easy enough to find and replace. He is by no means rare. We will see plenty like him.

What Logan does is “gap maintenance”, not “disruption”. He’s not the guy who blows up gaps and ruins plays. That ‘s who DT Fletcher Cox is. Logan is the stay-at-home DT who anchors the line. No shame in that if it works for him, but given all the times QB’s were able to step up into the pocket…was it really working for us?

So what if we replaced Logan with another disruptor? In my wettest of dreams, we signed DT Dontari Poe to team with Cox, but the money was never going be there for that. DT Destiny Vaeao on the other hand, is already on the roster, and is an active gap penetrator with enough foot speed to chase QB’s back and out of the pocket. Unlike Logan, Vaeao has the ability to be disruptive. We need that.

One of the primary goals of any defense is to cause turnovers. One of the best ways to do that, is to force the offense into making mistakes. If we can disrupt plays early, then opponents can’t do what they practiced. They then have to improvise, and that increases the odds of them making mistakes.

So let’s figure out a way to be disruptive right at the line of scrimmage. Let’s do that by starting the most disruptive D-Line we can assemble. Let’s make opponents as uncomfortable as hell, right at the snap of the ball.

THE 12: #8 NO GUTS, NO GLORY

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/03/24
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, NFL, Offense, Players, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE122017#8

OUR W/L record isn’t the biggest thing we have to worry about it 2017. We are after all, rebuilding. Making sure the foundation is solid is the most important thing we can do right now.

In THE 12 #6, I talked about how we should rely less on “WR Screens” and “Drag” routes. This year we need to see a lot more “Go” and “Deep Post” routes. This would mean a lot more downfield passing, and that needs to be the plan in 2017. (Especially in light of the two WR’s we just signed.) We played it safe last year, and you see what it got us. It’s time to remove the self-imposed handcuffs.

Last season we drafted QB Carson Wentz #2 overall, then traded away our Starter and put the rookie under Center for 16 games. He had no limit on his leash, or reason to look over his shoulder, and he did some neat things out there “for a rookie”. However, as a pro QB overall…he sort of shit the bed.

Seriously. If people would stop grading Wentz on that “for a rookie”curve, they would be less than thrilled with his season. You know who else was a 16-game, starting rookie QB last year? Dak Prescott. Unlike Wentz, Prescott’s year was judged not by his career length, but by his actual NFL success.

Yes, Prescott was carried by a strong running game, but he was also allowed to take more chances within his very simple system.

That wasn’t really the case with Wentz. With our more complex system, our play-calling kept Wentz from exploring its depths. It kept him from making rookie mistakes that he could have learned from, under the guise of teaching him not to take chances with the ball.

In the the end what did that get us? It got us the basement of our division. It also kept the training wheels on the guy who was drafted to be the leader of a this franchise.

If we don’t treat Wentz like a big-time QB, by letting him try to be a big-time QB, he will never actually become a big-time QB. If he truly does have All-Pro talent in him, he won’t reach it if he isn’t allowed to reach for it. He has to be allowed to, and even encouraged to, take risks. Otherwise he will remain what he was last season. A QB who interviews better than he plays.

THE 12: #7 TURN UP THE HEAT

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/03/23
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, NFL, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE122017#7.jpg

DEFENSIVE Coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to rush QB’s with four, and to blitz sporadically. I’ve been waiting for a DC who favored this approach. I’m not a fan of the “send the kitchen sink” approach that hasn’t really been working for us for years now. For the most part I liked what I saw from our front four last year, but we need to blitz more this season.

By blitzing more, I don’t mean we should adopt the “kitchen sink” approach. Week in and week out last year, we did a pretty solid job of applying pressure with just four. This year we just need to send that fifth man more often than we did last year. Not a big change, just a small tweak.

We got good pressure last year, but we didn’t get a ton of sacks or cause many interceptions off of hurries. Many analysts will say that hurries are almost as good as sacks, and they are entirely wrong about that. Hurries (on their own) don’t cost yards or knock teams out of field goal range. Hurries don’t cause sideline arguments over whether the blocking was poor, or if the ball was held too long. Hurries don’t build reputations that demand double-teams and dictate gameplans. You need sacks for that.

I’d like to see between 6 to 8, five man blitzes per game. Instead of having a designated “pass rush LB”, give each spot (SAM, MIKE, WILL), a couple of legit cracks at it each week. Scheme for it. Threaten to blitz 20 times a game, but bring it less than half the time. This preserves the element of surprise while still forcing teams to tip their hand when adjusting to pick-up the possible blitz.

Keep in mind, on the downs we don’t blitz, our opponent still has to deal with our front four, so there is no easy down here. Like I said, we did solid job last season, so there’s no need to overhaul our approach. It was a good start that taught us some things about ourselves. This year let’s apply those lessons learned, and take this team to the next level.

THE 12: #6 FEWER SCREENS AND DRAGS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/03/20
Posted in: Coaching, Offense, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE122017#6

CERTAIN passes reduce your receivers to sitting ducks, and the two main culprits are the “WR Screen” and the “Drag”. To make matters worse, they frequently don’t result in big plays unless the opposing defense really screws something up. Before people start to mention RB Darren Sproles, let me repeat, my issue with the “WR Screen” not the “RB Screen”. These are very different plays both in concept and execution. Now let’s get to it.

Your typical “Drag” route

Drag Route

is great at getting a WR away from the CB following him, since CB’s don’t usually cross the entire field to shadow a receiver. If the QB can lead the WR after he clears the MLB, this route can be money. (Note how I said after.) A few years ago San Diego absolutely gutted us with that route. If a team doesn’t make the correct adjustment (like we didn’t), the “Drag” can be almost indefensible.

The trouble is that a QB is usually trying to get rid of the ball quickly. So if the WR uncovers before (not after) the MLB, the QB will put the ball directly on him, instead of leading him with the ball. That can get the WR blown up by the MLB. More commonly however, what tends to happen is the WR gears down, faces the QB to make the catch, and then gets nailed in the back by Safeties or by a MLB in Tampa Two coverage. (You may recall a number of these type catches made by WR Jordan Matthews under our last head coach.)

To perfectly execute a “WR Screen”

Basic WR screen

you have to throw the ball to the WR, as a teammate or two gets out in front of the receiver, to set up blocks for him. However, that blocker can’t block before the receiver catches the ball, or it’s a penalty. The receiver also generally doesn’t get to “run” a route. What he does is turns and waits for the ball to get to him. In the meantime no one can block a defender from getting to the receiver…since he doesn’t have the ball yet. Because you know…penalty.

Did I mention that these plays tend to start out behind the line of scrimmage? I didn’t? Well they do. So if the receiver catches the ball and is tackled immediately, it’s usually for a loss of yardage. The best part? The entire time the receiver is waiting for the ball, he’s basically a sitting duck.

While you can YouTube any number of “WR Screens” that became touchdowns, it’s not as easy to find the many, many failed ones. This gives the artificial impression that they have a high success rate in pro football. This would be the opposite of true, and as football fans, you and I know that.

I’m not saying that we should never use “Drag” and “WR Screens”. I’m saying that these plays have too many drawbacks for us to rely on them the way we have been in recent years. We run entirely too many of these routes and they are nowhere as effective for us as they used to be 3-4 years ago. It’s time to let go of these and allow the Offense to progress to the next stage of its evolution.