Easley's explosion is back

WOW! Now the front severn is really set.

WITH ELEVEN (9 plus the rookies)
================
Easley, Brown, Jones
Sheard, Mayo, Hightower, Collins
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Ninkovich, Easley, Brown, Jones
Hightower, Mayo, Collins
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backup: Siliga
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We'll likely carry four additional players who shouldn't see the field except on Special Teams and when there is an injury.

Concussion Protocol said:

Zach Moore is cooked. Chris Jones is in danger. I just don't see how you cut Rufus. Does Branch survive, based mostly on his enormous body and nothing else? Damn, tough decisions here.

#worldchampproblems

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I don't see how either Chris Jones or Zach Moore make this team. Chris Moore especially. We have 3-4 guy who do what Chris Jones did for us but do it better. Pass rushing DT is full. Easley obviously but also Grissom and White have had success at that spot and we have Chandler Jones.

I think we keep Rufus Johnson (maybe) if we do Zach Moore is a goner cause Rufus is what we hoped Moore would be and you can only carry so many tweeners. Either way Moore is off the team IMO.

Branch is probably safe due to his size. Generally you want 3 big DTs so you have a rotation of them and backup. Branch/Brown/Siliga at the guys and to carry only Brown and Siliga would tire them out a little and if one goes down you are so undersized.

Right now if we carry Grissom under LB (i think we will but it could be Grissom at DE and R. Johnson as LB)

DE - Jones Nink Sheard White R. Johnson
DT - Brown Siliga Easley Branch

Moore, Jones A. Johnson are all gone sadly
DT -

Zeus said:

Thought it was 37. Gave me a Rodney Harrison flashback.

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If it was 37 then it was Jordan Richards. I was told he wasn't "fast" enough to make a play like that.

So at least I got it down to 2 possibilities. Its either 31 (TBrown) or 37 (JRichards). Either way it's good news. Thanks. Z

jays52 said:

I noticed that as well. Last week he was playing end and would pop up out of his stance, shake his shoulders, and pick a shoulder to run at in pass. That's not going to work in the NFL nor is it his best skill set. Like you said, he's best served coming out low and just shooting gaps like when he blew up that outside zone in the vine clip. On that sack, it didn't hurt that Collins exploded into the line, opened a crater in it, put the fear of god in the qb, and forced the back to tackle him. I thought that his best production last night came from his bull rushes completely collapsing the pocket and letting his help mop up. He's put quite a few high quality bulls on tape this preseason.

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Well at any rate, we look a LOT more explosive at the LOS than in previous years. Plus it looks like Matty P is going to let them loose a lot more this season. It will be interesting to see how much rope BB gives Matt, since we know that attacking defenses are not exactly in BB's DNA. Any percentage over 20% will likely send BB into seizures.

GOD it's good to be finally talking about FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!

@patfanken

Just tweeted Rich Hill and he thinks it's Jordan Richards that made that DB play and I think he's probably right - he is coming from the safety position. That's a pretty good passage of play for two rookies.

For everyone else, watch Jordan Richards come up from the safety spot and knock the RT back

https://vine.co/v/eIMAAHbpaFH

manxman2601 said:

@patfanken

Just tweeted Rich Hill and he thinks it's Jordan Richards that made that DB play and I think he's probably right - he is coming from the safety position. That's a pretty good passage of play for two rookies.

For everyone else, watch Jordan Richards come up from the safety spot and knock the RT back

https://vine.co/v/eIMAAHbpaFH

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Richards has looked really good. He doesn't play like a rookie.

manxman2601 said:

@patfanken

Just tweeted Rich Hill and he thinks it's Jordan Richards that made that DB play and I think he's probably right - he is coming from the safety position. That's a pretty good passage of play for two rookies.

For everyone else, watch Jordan Richards come up from the safety spot and knock the RT back

https://vine.co/v/eIMAAHbpaFH

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Thanks for clearing that up. I could watch that play all afternoon.

manxman2601 said:

@patfanken

Just tweeted Rich Hill and he thinks it's Jordan Richards that made that DB play and I think he's probably right - he is coming from the safety position. That's a pretty good passage of play for two rookies.

For everyone else, watch Jordan Richards come up from the safety spot and knock the RT back

https://vine.co/v/eIMAAHbpaFH

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Great play by Richards. Also a good look at Casey Walker getting completely dominated as per usual.

mgteich said:

Richards has looked really good. He doesn't play like a rookie.

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He certainly has in run support. I can't remember seeing him mentioned too much in coverage which is almost certainly a good thing too.

JMC00 said:

Could see a decent amount of sacks coming from the LBs. IMO Collins could easily be a double digit sack guy if Easley and Brown command some double teams.

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I see Sheard having big numbers also.

patfanken said:

But as for Twitter, I'm a flip phone man.

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Me too.

patfanken said:

I don't know where this rumor got started about Chandler Jones not being good at setting the edge. He's been solid at that assignment since his first year. Chandler has ALWAYS been a well round DE.

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In my opinion he is one of the NFL's best 4-3 DE in the run game.

manxman2601 said:

He certainly has in run support. I can't remember seeing him mentioned too much in coverage which is almost certainly a good thing too.

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We needed a 2nd safety that was good in run support. Now, I think that our safety situation (top 4) is a strength, and is OK even with an injury.

I would note that we haven't discussed Wilson or Ebner as safeties in a couple of weeks, as it should be.

They need to compete with all the other special teamers for roster spots (except for Slater who is a lock).

If I had to guess Chandler Jones has his weight up to around 290-295lbs. When you look at him compared to JJ Watt they're isn't any size difference anymore. He is legit at 3-4 RDE now.

Brady6 said:

If I had to guess Chandler Jones has his weight up to around 290-295lbs. When you look at him compared to JJ Watt they're isn't any size difference anymore. He is legit at 3-4 RDE now.

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I think hes put on wgt too. His upper body and arms look much bigger than i remember.

mgteich said:

WOW! Now the front severn is really set.

WITH ELEVEN (9 plus the rookies)
================
Easley, Brown, Jones
Sheard, Mayo, Hightower, Collins
=================
Ninkovich, Easley, Brown, Jones
Hightower, Mayo, Collins
==================
backup: Siliga
==================
We'll likely carry four additional players who shouldn't see the field except on Special Teams and when there is an injury.

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Any room for Rufus Johnson?

Chiuba E. Obele said:

Any room for Rufus Johnson?

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the roster I listed had 11 front seven players
DE/OLB (6) Ninkovich, Jones, Sheard, Collins, Flowers, Grissom
DT (3) Brown, Easley, Siliga
LB (2) Mayo, Hightower

There is room for 4 more (1-2 DT's and 2-3 LB's). All would be backups. Branch, Fletcher and Morris are probably the frontrunners at this point. So, sure, there is room for Rufus.

mgteich said:

the roster I listed had 11 front seven players
DE/OLB (6) Ninkovich, Jones, Sheard, Collins, Flowers, Grissom
DT (3) Brown, Easley, Siliga
LB (2) Mayo, Hightower

There is room for 4 more (1-2 DT's and 2-3 LB's). All would be backups. Branch, Fletcher and Morris are probably the frontrunners at this point. So, sure, there is room for Rufus.

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I think Hightower will play on the edge more than Collins. He is like a bigger Clay Matthews.

Marqui said:

I definitely noticed that last night as well. He's starting to make the same exact plays he made in college.

BTW I think the whole "Jones can't play the run" thing is bullshi*. He set the edge 5 yards in the backfield on that play.

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I know this is a thread about Easley, but Jones is not consistent in setting the edge. He does have individual plays where he does it well. He has had stretches in games, however, where teams specifically run to that side because he gets over-powered or just wears down toward the end of games. He has put on some more size they say, and that should help as far as his ability to remain effective for the whole game. He's out there something like 95 percent of the time anyway.

He has looked good in all phases of the game in the action I've seen of him so far. This is a contract year for him, so we'll see what kind of output there is this season. I kind of wish they would stop trying to make him Willie Mac 2.0 and just let him be a pass rusher.

manxman2601 said:

Mike Petraglia ‏@Trags 3m3 minutes ago
"He's had a real good training camp. Improved technique. Explosive athlete." BB on Easley.

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I get real excited when BB says that a player is "explosive".

BB has canned responses for each player and their pecking order

JAG: "Works hard"
Bottom Roster: "Works hard. Knows what to do."
In the Rotation: "No one works harder. We're glad he's here. Hes solid."
Rock Star: "Explosive, They don't grow on trees. No one else I'd rather have"