THE Derek Stephens agrees with English about Hawks weakness,

Saying it's lack of interior pressure from the DT position.

http://www.fieldgulls.com/2012/12/17/37 ... -bills-nfl

Seattle's biggest need is a pass-rushing interior defensive tackle, plain and simple. Having a good one, will do two things - 1. Disallow opposing QBs to step up in the pocket, making it easier for your speed rushers in Irvin and Clemons, to reach him; 2. Force opposing QBs to have to let go of the ball earlier, thus supporting your press-corners in their abilities to tie up receivers at the line.

If you're a defense that presses the corners, the goal is to disrupt the receiver's timing and delay his ability to get a release. The longer the QB has to sit back and scan the field, the more time the receiver has to break press. Remember, cornerbacks only have 5 yards to press. That's not much.

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Not exactly a revelation - I think we all agree.

FlyingGreg":19yy09nz said:

Not exactly a revelation - I think we all agree.

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yeah..... lol.

I haven't been entirely on the bandwagon though, so I guess I definitely am now. Trade up for Star Lotulei anyone?

hawksfan515":20ur8tq8 said:

Trade up for Star Lotulei anyone?

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No.

I am kinda intrigued by the Randy Starks idea though.

I'm not complaining about our interior pressure. Seattle's DTs now have 9 sacks in 14 games. That's not bad. Compare that to Red Bryant who has 2 sacks in 37 games from a position that usually produces pass rush. I think if you really want to fix the pass rush, you find a Calais Campbell type to play Red Bryant's position. Or you biltz more like a 3-4 team would. That works too.

kearly":2edkhds0 said:

hawksfan515":2edkhds0 said:

Trade up for Star Lotulei anyone?

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No.

I am kinda intrigued by the Randy Starks idea though.

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Which DT do you like other than Will Sutton?

And on a sidenote, could Jaye Howard be our 3-tech of the future?

I like Ziggy Ansah. I don't think either Ansah or Sutton will be the next Geno Atkins, but they'll be good players. I don't like this DT class very much. The first round group is very over-rated, IMO.

I think Jaye Howard is the Craig Terrill of the future. Craig Terrill was horrible against the run, but he could get to the QB. Howard is a much better pass rusher but might be worse against the run than Terrill was. Honestly I am disappointed that Howard hasn't seen reps on 3rd down yet. He must not look as good in practices as he did in the preseason.

Size is the prerequisite to Bryant's role. An orthodox 3-4 five technique wouldn't be able to do that job. It's why Alan Branch was going to move over to DE is Red didn't make the Chicago trip. The 4-3 under put the one over the center and tries to force 1v1 match-ups for the three and the LEO. It leaves the five to essentially hold two blockers - maybe three if they keep a tight end blocking. If you run this system without Bryant's size, you're going to get gashed against the run every single time. They're not even trying to make that Bryant position a pass rushing role. They just need him to hold up against the run to try and max out the pressure on the other side. And that's the issue. We're not getting anything like enough penetration from the three.

I like Calais Campbell, but if you take 30-40lbs out of that DE position, this defense will not work. Which is why Red's the highest paid player on the defense right now.

So that begs the question why is James Jones having such a bad year? I guess we aren't going to re-sign him?

Waterhawk1":2487zr77 said:

So that begs the question why is James Jones having such a bad year? I guess we aren't going to re-sign him?

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I didn't realize he was.

I think our interior pass rush is improved w/ James Jones but there is still room for much more improvement in there.

I'd like to get a veteran pass rushing DT on the free agency market if one becomes available and then also draft one in the later rounds for growth/depth.

oregonhawkfan":3smauo6p said:

I think our interior pass rush is improved w/ James Jones but there is still room for much more improvement in there.

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:?: :?: :?:

James Jones already has 12 TD'S for the year though!!!!! Number 2 in the league!

Jason Jones is what he meant

The question is what pass rusher we can get with the 32nd pick............

Waterhawk1":29aoxyu5 said:

So that begs the question why is James Jones having such a bad year? I guess we aren't going to re-sign him?

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This has been the main problem with our interior tackle play. Bryant isn't built to play every down, he needs to be spelled........and the combo of Jones and Branch hasn't been very effective.

It doesn't help that Irvin is still a liability on run downs. He can hold his edge, but he rarely sheds blocks and helps the interior lineman make tackles. Eight sacks is great, but only nine tackles is no bueno for a starting DE who needs to help the rest of the line stop the run.

kearly":p9qe1xc8 said:

Honestly I am disappointed that Howard hasn't seen reps on 3rd down yet. He must not look as good in practices as he did in the preseason.

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Yeah, you know that surprises me too. In my opinion Howard was one of the more intriguing picks we made last year because of what I thought he would bring to the table. Obviously it's still just year 1 for him and there's TONS of time for him, but I loved the thought of having him and Jones as our 3tech rushers. Really thought we would get a lot more push from the middle than we are.

kearly":ukjn9a2d said:

hawksfan515":ukjn9a2d said:

Trade up for Star Lotulei anyone?

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No.

I am kinda intrigued by the Randy Starks idea though.

I'm not complaining about our interior pressure. Seattle's DTs now have 9 sacks in 14 games. That's not bad. Compare that to Red Bryant who has 2 sacks in 37 games from a position that usually produces pass rush. I think if you really want to fix the pass rush, you find a Calais Campbell type to play Red Bryant's position. Or you biltz more like a 3-4 team would. That works too.

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In this case, sack numbers may not represent the true effectiveness of our ability to collapse the pocket consistently. I think what we are looking for is that dangerous penetrator you have to account for every down. I'm not sure Jones fulfills that need.

Sgt. Largent":15e0b48z said:

Waterhawk1":15e0b48z said:

So that begs the question why is James Jones having such a bad year? I guess we aren't going to re-sign him?

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This has been the main problem with our interior tackle play. Bryant isn't built to play every down, he needs to be spelled........and the combo of Jones and Branch hasn't been very effective.

It doesn't help that Irvin is still a liability on run downs. He can hold his edge, but he rarely sheds blocks and helps the interior lineman make tackles. Eight sacks is great, but only nine tackles is no bueno for a starting DE who needs to help the rest of the line stop the run.

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Irvin isn't a "starting DE"...but it is concerning he only has 9 tackles.

Move Sweezy back to DT....I'm kind of serious. Look at his college film, that guy is a beast up the middle.