Bob_the_Destroyer
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- Jun 21, 2014
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I have been a big advocate for Greg Scruggs and was expecting big things from him this season, but after reviewing his play the first two pre-season games, I have to say I am disappointed. He has put on almost thirty pounds of muscle while apparently keeping his speed, he no longer has the painful turf toe injury he had throughout his rookie season and the coaches, Travis Jones and Dan Quinn, have spent a lot of time developing him as an NFL defensive lineman, but he has not improved much, if at all, since his rookie season in 2012.
He is good at setting the edge, but he does nothing after that, often standing up and getting shoved way back by the offensive lineman. He is much less active than the inside tackles they had last year: Michael Bennett, Clinton McDonald and Tony McDaniel. There is absolutely nothing after setting the edge -- no bull rush, no swim move, not much penetration, no shoving the lineman out of the way, no nose for the ball carrier, no tackling, no quick moves around the lineman, no motor using his excellent speed and power -- and no Cliff Avril move where he puts on a burst of speed and power when he sees the quarterback starting to go into his passing motion and then times a lunge behind the QB towards where the passing arm is going to be cocked; hitting the arm, shoulder, or ball at the QB's most vulnerable point (I love that move. Blockers are usually keeping you away from directly getting to the QB's body, but often allow a slight opening to behind the QB where quick, long-armed pass-rushers - ideally coming from the QB's right side closest to the throwing arm - can lean in and reach some part of the backswing, sometimes just barely with their fingers -- easier than a sack, and often results in a turnover or incomplete pass).
We have to give Scruggs some concession for just recovering from a very serious ACL injury, but so far he has shown nothing -- and the second game was worse than the first. I was hoping for another Gino Atkins, but I will now settle for someone who at least approaches the effectiveness of a Clinton McDonald.
Scruggs is a unique athlete -- there aren't that many 310+ lb people in the world who have his kind of speed -- and he did play 11 games his rookie season, where we were more willing to overlook his ineffectiveness because he was a low-draft-pick rookie, so they will keep him -- but I was expecting a lot more.
Those were still his first two games back after knee surgery, so let's see how he does against the Bears.
.
He is good at setting the edge, but he does nothing after that, often standing up and getting shoved way back by the offensive lineman. He is much less active than the inside tackles they had last year: Michael Bennett, Clinton McDonald and Tony McDaniel. There is absolutely nothing after setting the edge -- no bull rush, no swim move, not much penetration, no shoving the lineman out of the way, no nose for the ball carrier, no tackling, no quick moves around the lineman, no motor using his excellent speed and power -- and no Cliff Avril move where he puts on a burst of speed and power when he sees the quarterback starting to go into his passing motion and then times a lunge behind the QB towards where the passing arm is going to be cocked; hitting the arm, shoulder, or ball at the QB's most vulnerable point (I love that move. Blockers are usually keeping you away from directly getting to the QB's body, but often allow a slight opening to behind the QB where quick, long-armed pass-rushers - ideally coming from the QB's right side closest to the throwing arm - can lean in and reach some part of the backswing, sometimes just barely with their fingers -- easier than a sack, and often results in a turnover or incomplete pass).
We have to give Scruggs some concession for just recovering from a very serious ACL injury, but so far he has shown nothing -- and the second game was worse than the first. I was hoping for another Gino Atkins, but I will now settle for someone who at least approaches the effectiveness of a Clinton McDonald.
Scruggs is a unique athlete -- there aren't that many 310+ lb people in the world who have his kind of speed -- and he did play 11 games his rookie season, where we were more willing to overlook his ineffectiveness because he was a low-draft-pick rookie, so they will keep him -- but I was expecting a lot more.
Those were still his first two games back after knee surgery, so let's see how he does against the Bears.
.