Demarcus Dobbs

Not saying he could be play like Mebane. But I think he could be a viable run stopper replacement after watching him stop Hyde and Gore dead in their tracks. I realize he's a DE, but he looked good against normally stout 9er run game.

Dobbs is a guy who plays outside. He's 285 or so and his experience is as a 3-4 DE, which is just a shade inside what most people consider Red's spot. He played well tonight, but Bane is in a class all his own as a 1 technique/Nose Tackle(not what Dobbs plays).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but he didn't play in lieu of Justin Smith, when Smith was out for a stint with injuries (last year or year before)? J. Smith is basically their nose in their scheme, holding up blockers for others to knife through.

Here's an article snippet, off Field Gulls a while back

'According to Matt Barrows (Sacremento Bee), Dobbs "had been Justin Smith's primary backup at right defensive end and he also had been part of the team's coverage and return units on special teams. He had played well behind Smith this year, but the team simply has more invested in (Quinton) Dial and (Tank) Carradine." The move likely precedes Aldon Smith returning to the roster next week. Dobbs signed a one-year restricted free-agent tender of $1.4 million in the offseason.'

You say nose and the article says RDE. It's a 3-4 RDE, but playing nose is very different.

Either way, Dobbs played well yesterday.

jake206":rthcyoht said:

J. Smith is basically their nose in their scheme, holding up blockers for others to knife through.

Click to expand...

Nah, Justin Smith is a 3-4 DE who moves inside to DT when they go to the 5-2 in passing downs (by position group though it's basically a 5-4-2 because the OLBs slot down to the DE spots).

Justin Smith is never in the role to do what Mebane does (maintain A gap integrity), and you wouldn't want Dobbs in that role either.

The 9ers released Dobbs because they have too many bodies at his position (Smith, McDonald, Dial, Carradine, TJE).

In the past few years in the 9ers scheme folks in the Mebane-role have been Ian Williams (IR), Glen Dorsey (yet to play this year due to injury), Sopoaga (signed as a FA before last year), and Dial (playing out of position since Williams went down a few weeks ago, and not doing too well doing it).