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If I have one complaint about Mayo it's his hesitation about meeting the Guard in the hole. I felt Guyton was doing that more as the season wore on, but Mayo was still a little slower to commit inside, for whatever reason be it a read delay, coaching, or trying to break 4-3 habits. Spikes isn't bothered by that, as long as he plays his assignment and doesn't try to pursue before the cutback option is closed he'll be fine.We will continue to hear complaints about Mayo not playing like Lewis or Willis from fans who don't understand what his assignment is but he will continue to team with Wilfork and whoever his DE is to control the area fron C to T very well. Spikes is also a great fit for that job.
Brace looks like he'll be fine. Warren was getting moved back too easily in preseason when he wasn't shooting a gap. Wright has always struggled when subbing in for Ty Warren, he is much more consistent and harder to move when he's at Nose or in at RDE, I'm really not concerned about him. Deadrick would be my choice for the inactive DL, but if Pryor's knee is bothering he may get some game reps at RDE, there are flashes to suggest he can do the job once he gets his on switch to stay on. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Love playing Nose and Wilfork outside, or the two NTs get used like the Wiliams Bros. or Siragusa/Adams in a 40 front.At DE Brace showed me in preseason that he is exactly the physical force I described above to handle todays pass blocking favored OT. Gerard Warren certainly has the bulk and strength to control OTs as well, however I have not been impressed with his ability to disengage the blocker to make the play in the small sample we have seen (although not holding the point of attack is the cardinal sin, and not disengaging well is a much less severe issue to survive) and it seems to be in his blood to want to abandon 2gap duties and try to penetrate. I see Wright as a solid player who needs to keep excellent technique discipline to not be overpowered and who is inconsistent with technique discipline.
A point, not to mention this would be an area where Spikes explosiveness might be a better fit.One very, very crtical part of run D IMO is short yardage. 3rd and 1, 4th and 1, goalline. I think out of everything about a defense this is the one area we are least consistent year to year. Franlkly we either own those situations or struggle very badly. I am encouraged that we may have one of those seasons where we own short yardage because of the bulk of our DL. We are bigger on the DL, and in reserve DL than I ever remember outside of maybe Ted Washington being bigger by himself than any other DL
The potential is there, even if it's still only potential in game one.Overall, I think our run D will be improved.
Actually Ninkovich was stronger then TBC at this last year, and I think Murrell will be okay, once he adjusted to being used at LDE against NYG he held up okay in the trench fighting.How will the OLBs play that strong OT run, handling a pulling G, a trap, a stretch play cut up inside them? Other than TBC (who did a pretty good job last year) we really havent seen enough to know.
It's hopeful, and of course part of that hope is the aggressive way McCourty supported the run and Chung's speed/power to the mark.