This is the continuation of the Offensive version of this Dead Zone questionnaire, this time with a defensive focus.
1. Coaching: Unlike the offensive side of the ball, I am not comfortable with the defensive side. It's my understanding Mike Caldwell is a first time defensive coordinator. Thus far, I am not overly thrilled with the defense's performance under him. But in fairness, I don't know how much of that is attributable to him and his schemes/adjustments, how much of that is attributable to a lack of talent, etc.
Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
2. Defensive line: While we seem to have decent to good players across the front three, I think it's fair to say there are no dominators along the front. Free agent signee Roy Robertson Harris was not a starter in Chicago, but has developed into a good starter here. Late in the year, he had flashes of dominance, but not enough consistency to put him in the Pro Bowl. NT DaVon Hamilton earned a new 4 (?) year deal from the team this off season. Foley Fatukasi was signed as a FA last offseason. Adam Gotsis is a decent rotational player, and the loss of Fred Smoot will be filled by rookie 4th round pick Tyler Lacy.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl calibeber player?
3. Linebackers: The team drafted three (3) linebackers last year to man their newly installed 3-4 scheme. Travon Walker was the first overall pick last year and transitioned from a down DL to an outside LB. While he had his moments, he made much less of an impact than the guy drafted right below him, who is now in Detroit. However, many expect him to make a leap forward this year now that he's had a year in his new position. The team's 2nd draft pick last year was LB Devon Lloyd. After a fast start, Lloyd's productivity fell off, reportedly due to several factors. By his own recent admission, his conditioning wasn't up to par. He also reportedly did not have a full command of the playbook. From one perspective, that is encouraging, because early on, despite those shortcomings, he flashed enough playmaing ability to earns defenive rookie of the month awards for September before fading. Now that he has a better idea of what it takes to play well in this league, the potential for him having a big improvement in 2023 seems high. The third rookie at LB was 3rd round pick Chad Muma. I was initially excited about him, too, but he didn't have the same impact Lloyd had. But the coaches played Muma when Lloud got benched later in the year. But the team was not totally devoid of veteran leadership at LB. Former first round pick Josh Allen had a good but uneven year. Like he did in his year under Urban Meyer, he had a big game, then go weeks without making a huge impact. Going into the final year of his contract, he needss to have a big year with consistent impact. Oluakon provided the veteran leadership from ILB and performed well. Shaquille Quarterman came off of the bench to provide spot play, and he provided the hit that helped turn the first Tennessee game around by forcing a Derrick Henry Fumble. The team did not stop there, and added more rookies with Ventrell Miller and Yasir Abdullah in the middle rounds of the draft. While many panned the Miller pick, many observers seem excited over the Abdullah additon.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
4. Secondary: While they showed improvement ver te course of the year, I believe this to be the weak spot of the defense. Tyson Campbell is the best of this unit and he played well all year. I think he is on his way to becoming one of the better CBs in team history. Right now, I'd probably rank him about 5th, behind Ramsey, Rashean Mathis, Aaron Beasley and Brian Williams. At the other CB spot, Shaquil Griffin was a disaster. He was benched for the year just after the second Colts' game and never returned to the lineup. Darious Williams eventually replaced him and he improved the level of play at LCB, but given his diminutive size, I question if he is truly the longer term answer at the position. The demotion of Griffin and the promotion of Williams meant Tre Herndon stuck around. But after he performed well in the aftermath of the Ramsey trade, he has since been underwhelming at nickel. Safety appears to be in decent hands with Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins. Cisco is entering his 3rd year and appears poised to have a big year, coming into camp more muscular than he had been. Jenkins was the hero of the Dallas and Tennessee games late in the year, and he could eventually find himself in Jaguars lore for his contributions. The 3rd S who has gained popularity is Wyoming S Andrew Wingard. His play has improved and he has provided two memorable quotes. I think the only thing that potentially threatens his spot on the roster at this point is the league's de-emphasis of special teams. The draft brought a couple of rookies, though the expectation was that CB would be addressed much earlier in the draft than the 6th round pick they used on the Rutgers kid. They also added a S in Antonio Johnson out of Texas A &M who went two rounds lower than expected.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
I won't quote the message because it is so long, so I'll just repeat the question and give my answer.
1. Coaching
Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
My Answer: I'll give him a C, but I feel like I'm being generous. I'm giving him a break because he was a first time defensive coordinator on a new team with a lot of new players including many rookies and other young players. I saw his actual performance as not being good. It didn't look like players always knew what they were doing. He didn't always put players in roles that played to their strengths. Some players seemed to underperform. He also wasn't good at making mid-game adjustments. I'm hoping he pulls a "My Cousin Vinny" and does much better once he figures things out.
2. Defensive Line
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl calibeber player?
My answer: I hope I'm wrong, but my honest answer is no. I don't see any of them as having Pro Bowl potential.
3. Linebackers
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year?
My answer: It's a good question. I expect improvement. How much improvement will be one of the biggest questions going into this season.
Question: Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
My answer: Travon Walker. His competition is Lloyd who has the potential to take a big leap, but I'm not sure that he will. I feel more confident that Walker will take a step forward and has the potential to take a big step forward.
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far?
My answer: I've learned to be skeptical of the speed pass rushers who lack size. They always look great on college tape, but it often doesn't translate well to the NFL. I also don't put much into mini camp performance. There's generally a speed versus size trade-off with players. When practicing without pads, I think it gives the advantage to speed players. It's not until the pads are worn that the small speedy player's weaknesses get exposed. It's the off-season, so I like to be optimistic. Some small speedy guys do make an impact so hopefully Abdullah is one of them. I see him as a "boom or bust" prospect.
Sub question: If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
My answer: I'm not a Gator fan.
4. Secondary
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
My answer: No. I'm not sure that the Jaguars are going to sign anyone significant at this point other than maybe Smoot. I think if they were going to sign a player of significance from another team, they would already have done it. If they did sign someone, a pass rusher would be the most likely position.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
My answer: Cisco. He played minimally his rookie year, so in some ways last year was effectively a rookie year to him. I think he can take a step forward. That being said, I think having Williams full time on the outside will be a major plus for the secondary. I know it may be unconventional with his size, but he just plays better there. I saw one rankings that had him as the 9th best cornerback. While I think that's high, I do think he played well on the outside. I'm also hoping one of our rookies surprises, but that's more wishful thinking than a prediction.
I'm very interested in how Travon Walker turns out, as pass rush is key to all NFL defenses. Most agreed that he was a project at #1, relying on Bill Parcells 'Planet Theory' draft approach. This is just my opinion, but my concern is that Walker's natural position seems to be a 4-3 DE, but he's stuck in a 3-4ish defense. I think gaining weight and putting him as a 2-gap 3-4 DE wastes his elite speed, and 3-4 OLB and occasionally dropping into coverage wastes his size.
(06-17-2023, 12:42 PM)TheDuke007 Wrote: [ -> ]I won't quote the message because it is so long, so I'll just repeat the question and give my answer.
1. Coaching
Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
My Answer: I'll give him a C, but I feel like I'm being generous. I'm giving him a break because he was a first time defensive coordinator on a new team with a lot of new players including many rookies and other young players. I saw his actual performance as not being good. It didn't look like players always knew what they were doing. He didn't always put players in roles that played to their strengths. Some players seemed to underperform. He also wasn't good at making mid-game adjustments. I'm hoping he pulls a "My Cousin Vinny" and does much better once he figures things out.
2. Defensive Line
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player?
My answer: I hope I'm wrong, but my honest answer is no. I don't see any of them as having Pro Bowl potential.
3. Linebackers
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year?
My answer: It's a good question. I expect improvement. How much improvement will be one of the biggest questions going into this season.
Question: Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
My answer: Travon Walker. His competition is Lloyd who has the potential to take a big leap, but I'm not sure that he will. I feel more confident that Walker will take a step forward and has the potential to take a big step forward.
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far?
My answer: I've learned to be skeptical of the speed pass rushers who lack size. They always look great on college tape, but it often doesn't translate well to the NFL. I also don't put much into mini camp performance. There's generally a speed versus size trade-off with players. When practicing without pads, I think it gives the advantage to speed players. It's not until the pads are worn that the small speedy player's weaknesses get exposed. It's the off-season, so I like to be optimistic. Some small speedy guys do make an impact so hopefully Abdullah is one of them. I see him as a "boom or bust" prospect.
Sub question: If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
My answer: I'm not a Gator fan.
4. Secondary
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
My answer: No. I'm not sure that the Jaguars are going to sign anyone significant at this point other than maybe Smoot. I think if they were going to sign a player of significance from another team, they would already have done it. If they did sign someone, a pass rusher would be the most likely position.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
My answer: Cisco. He played minimally his rookie year, so in some ways last year was effectively a rookie year to him. I think he can take a step forward. That being said, I think having Williams full time on the outside will be a major plus for the secondary. I know it may be unconventional with his size, but he just plays better there. I saw one rankings that had him as the 9th best cornerback. While I think that's high, I do think he played well on the outside. I'm also hoping one of our rookies surprises, but that's more wishful thinking than a prediction.
1. I am inclined to agree with your overall assessment of Caldwell. I don't know if you are being generous with your C grade, but I was less than impressed with the overall defensive performance underr him. Now that he has a year's experience as the defensive coordinator, and the players now have a year within that scheme, there should be improvement this year, especially given the division's three (3) likely rookie tarting QBs. But the sense I have early on is we still may be wanting more out of the defense. I hope he proves me wrong though. I'll gladly eat crow if he does.
2. Again we are largely on the same page. I was initially bullish on Devon Hamilton. Thus far he has not been what I would consider to be a dominant guy, but the team HAS thought enough of his play to give him a new contract.
3. I think this represents our first disagreement on this thread. I predict Lloyd shows the most improvement out of the LBs. Lloyd showed the most potential and athleticism out of the LBs last year. Asied from having to learn the defense, he had to learn an entirely new position-one for which he may not be particularly well suited. He started playing better later in the year, but I'm not sold he makes the biggest leap.
As for Abdullah, I've seen some nice clips of him, but I share your skepticism. A his success will depend on how he is utilized. He seems to be a talented all around LB who could be a relatively rare 3-4 OLB who could drop in zone coverage and possibly play decently in man, but I'm unsure how effective he would be as a rusher. Best case scenario is he could provide the pass rush equivalent of Elvis Dumerville or former Steeler Harrison. Neither of whom had the height teams typically look for in a 3-4 OLB but still wound up being effective rushing off the edge. My initial impression of Abdullah is he would be a better fit as a 4-3 OLB. We'll see how he translates. It'll be one of the things I will be watching most closely in training camp.
BTW, my fault for being so restrictive in soliciting opinions on Miller. I guess initially I limited it to Gator fans, figuring they have seen him the most and would be in the best position to provide insight regarding his ability to fit within the defense. But Duke's reply showed how unjustly limiting my question was. My apologies, Duke and to any others who may have been careless;y/unwittingly silenced by the phrasing of the question. Please feel free to chime in on this point if you have a Miller take.
4. As for adding a player to the secondary, I can't guarantee they will, but I think if the right person is cut, they could add someone to the secpndary. In retrospect, I should have posed this question in the Linebacker paragraph above, because a lot of the discussion thus far centered around possibly adding a guy like Danielle Hunter or bringing back Ngakoue as an edge rusher. But as to the question of adding a player in the secondary, I think they probably will. As for the surprise contributor, I am excited about Johnson out of Texas A&M. I think if Caldwell utilizes him in the scheme properly, he can improve our defense.
(06-17-2023, 12:49 PM)cland Wrote: [ -> ]I'm very interested in how Travon Walker turns out, as pass rush is key to all NFL defenses. Most agreed that he was a project at #1, relying on Bill Parcells 'Planet Theory' draft approach. This is just my opinion, but my concern is that Walker's natural position seems to be a 4-3 DE, but he's stuck in a 3-4ish defense. I think gaining weight and putting him as a 2-gap 3-4 DE wastes his elite speed, and 3-4 OLB and occasionally dropping into coverage wastes his size.
(emphasis added)
I don't think I ever saw him as having elite speed/burst for an edge rusher, which is what dampened my enthusiasm for the pick. Though I remain skeptical, I think a best case scenario for us is he develops into our version of Green Bay's Rashaan Gary.
(06-17-2023, 09:48 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]This is the continuation of the Offensive version of this Dead Zone questionnaire, this time with a defensive focus.
1. Coaching: Unlike the offensive side of the ball, I am not comfortable with the defensive side. It's my understanding Mike Caldwell is a first time defensive coordinator. Thus far, I am not overly thrilled with the defense's performance under him. But in fairness, I don't know how much of that is attributable to him and his schemes/adjustments, how much of that is attributable to a lack of talent, etc.
Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
Caldwell definitely took the games prior to the bye-week to figure some things out as a first time coordinator.
Progress was made thereafter, but I hesitate to say there may not have been more with a more adept DC.
I'm very curious to see how this develops.
I'd give Caldwell a C for last year, and I reckon that's not terrible for a first time coordinator, but still not enough.
Player development and how the back 7 settle into coverage schemes this year will be telling.
2. Defensive line: While we seem to have decent to good players across the front three, I think it's fair to say there are no dominators along the front. Free agent signee Roy Robertson Harris was not a starter in Chicago, but has developed into a good starter here. Late in the year, he had flashes of dominance, but not enough consistency to put him in the Pro Bowl. NT DaVon Hamilton earned a new 4 (?) year deal from the team this off season. Foley Fatukasi was signed as a FA last offseason. Adam Gotsis is a decent rotational player, and the loss of Fred Smoot will be filled by rookie 4th round pick Tyler Lacy.
Fatukasi needs to show a bit more IMO, though he was very stout against the run in several games last year prior to getting banged up. Need more of that and a bit of pocket push from him.
One consistent interior pocket disruptor would radically change this defense for the better. Not sure we have one.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl calibeber player?
Doubtful.
3. Linebackers: The team drafted three (3) linebackers last year to man their newly installed 3-4 scheme. Travon Walker was the first overall pick last year and transitioned from a down DL to an outside LB. While he had his moments, he made much less of an impact than the guy drafted right below him, who is now in Detroit. However, many expect him to make a leap forward this year now that he's had a year in his new position. The team's 2nd draft pick last year was LB Devon Lloyd. After a fast start, Lloyd's productivity fell off, reportedly due to several factors. By his own recent admission, his conditioning wasn't up to par. He also reportedly did not have a full command of the playbook. From one perspective, that is encouraging, because early on, despite those shortcomings, he flashed enough playmaing ability to earns defenive rookie of the month awards for September before fading. Now that he has a better idea of what it takes to play well in this league, the potential for him having a big improvement in 2023 seems high. The third rookie at LB was 3rd round pick Chad Muma. I was initially excited about him, too, but he didn't have the same impact Lloyd had. But the coaches played Muma when Lloud got benched later in the year. But the team was not totally devoid of veteran leadership at LB. Former first round pick Josh Allen had a good but uneven year. Like he did in his year under Urban Meyer, he had a big game, then go weeks without making a huge impact. Going into the final year of his contract, he needss to have a big year with consistent impact. Oluakon provided the veteran leadership from ILB and performed well. Shaquille Quarterman came off of the bench to provide spot play, and he provided the hit that helped turn the first Tennessee game around by forcing a Derrick Henry Fumble. The team did not stop there, and added more rookies with Ventrell Miller and Yasir Abdullah in the middle rounds of the draft. While many panned the Miller pick, many observers seem excited over the Abdullah additon.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
I think some combo of Oluokun (still underrated IMO) , Lloyd ( I expect growth), Muma (should only get better) will man the middle and the latter two may interchange according to package.
OLB will rely on Walker progressing ( I think he will contribute more) and Allen turning pressures into sacks (it's now or never) The rookie may be a factor in a few games if he gets up to speed, but I imagine there will be a number of matchups for him early on that don't favor him. Love the upside, but dislike the odds of a guy his size beating NFL tackles.
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
4. Secondary: While they showed improvement ver te course of the year, I believe this to be the weak spot of the defense. Tyson Campbell is the best of this unit and he played well all year. I think he is on his way to becoming one of the better CBs in team history. Right now, I'd probably rank him about 5th, behind Ramsey, Rashean Mathis, Aaron Beasley and Brian Williams. At the other CB spot, Shaquil Griffin was a disaster. He was benched for the year just after the second Colts' game and never returned to the lineup. Darious Williams eventually replaced him and he improved the level of play at LCB, but given his diminutive size, I question if he is truly the longer term answer at the position. The demotion of Griffin and the promotion of Williams meant Tre Herndon stuck around. But after he performed well in the aftermath of the Ramsey trade, he has since been underwhelming at nickel. Safety appears to be in decent hands with Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins. Cisco is entering his 3rd year and appears poised to have a big year, coming into camp more muscular than he had been. Jenkins was the hero of the Dallas and Tennessee games late in the year, and he could eventually find himself in Jaguars lore for his contributions. The 3rd S who has gained popularity is Wyoming S Andrew Wingard. His play has improved and he has provided two memorable quotes. I think the only thing that potentially threatens his spot on the roster at this point is the league's de-emphasis of special teams. The draft brought a couple of rookies, though the expectation was that CB would be addressed much earlier in the draft than the 6th round pick they used on the Rutgers kid. They also added a S in Antonio Johnson out of Texas A &M who went two rounds lower than expected.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
I think we may get a street FA - but don't expect much.
Cambell and Williams should do well on the corners. Nickel is a crapshoot, and I hope someone better than Herndon steps up. We gave up too many easy 1st downs to wide open slot receivers and TEs matched up on our nickel or SS last year.
Jenkins had some amazing splash plays but absolutely stinks in coverage. We need more from him when he has to run with a receiver or TE.
Cisco had great flashes and plenty of solid play interjected by giving up big plays. Will need to settle in. Hopefully year two in the system for him and his DC will pay dividends. Love his upside and potential.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
Cisco or a new nickel
answers in green
(06-17-2023, 09:48 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]This is the continuation of the Offensive version of this Dead Zone questionnaire, this time with a defensive focus.
1. Coaching: Unlike the offensive side of the ball, I am not comfortable with the defensive side. It's my understanding Mike Caldwell is a first time defensive coordinator. Thus far, I am not overly thrilled with the defense's performance under him. But in fairness, I don't know how much of that is attributable to him and his schemes/adjustments, how much of that is attributable to a lack of talent, etc.
Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
2. Defensive line: While we seem to have decent to good players across the front three, I think it's fair to say there are no dominators along the front. Free agent signee Roy Robertson Harris was not a starter in Chicago, but has developed into a good starter here. Late in the year, he had flashes of dominance, but not enough consistency to put him in the Pro Bowl. NT DaVon Hamilton earned a new 4 (?) year deal from the team this off season. Foley Fatukasi was signed as a FA last offseason. Adam Gotsis is a decent rotational player, and the loss of Fred Smoot will be filled by rookie 4th round pick Tyler Lacy.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl calibeber player?
3. Linebackers: The team drafted three (3) linebackers last year to man their newly installed 3-4 scheme. Travon Walker was the first overall pick last year and transitioned from a down DL to an outside LB. While he had his moments, he made much less of an impact than the guy drafted right below him, who is now in Detroit. However, many expect him to make a leap forward this year now that he's had a year in his new position. The team's 2nd draft pick last year was LB Devon Lloyd. After a fast start, Lloyd's productivity fell off, reportedly due to several factors. By his own recent admission, his conditioning wasn't up to par. He also reportedly did not have a full command of the playbook. From one perspective, that is encouraging, because early on, despite those shortcomings, he flashed enough playmaing ability to earns defenive rookie of the month awards for September before fading. Now that he has a better idea of what it takes to play well in this league, the potential for him having a big improvement in 2023 seems high. The third rookie at LB was 3rd round pick Chad Muma. I was initially excited about him, too, but he didn't have the same impact Lloyd had. But the coaches played Muma when Lloud got benched later in the year. But the team was not totally devoid of veteran leadership at LB. Former first round pick Josh Allen had a good but uneven year. Like he did in his year under Urban Meyer, he had a big game, then go weeks without making a huge impact. Going into the final year of his contract, he needss to have a big year with consistent impact. Oluakon provided the veteran leadership from ILB and performed well. Shaquille Quarterman came off of the bench to provide spot play, and he provided the hit that helped turn the first Tennessee game around by forcing a Derrick Henry Fumble. The team did not stop there, and added more rookies with Ventrell Miller and Yasir Abdullah in the middle rounds of the draft. While many panned the Miller pick, many observers seem excited over the Abdullah additon.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
4. Secondary: While they showed improvement ver te course of the year, I believe this to be the weak spot of the defense. Tyson Campbell is the best of this unit and he played well all year. I think he is on his way to becoming one of the better CBs in team history. Right now, I'd probably rank him about 5th, behind Ramsey, Rashean Mathis, Aaron Beasley and Brian Williams. At the other CB spot, Shaquil Griffin was a disaster. He was benched for the year just after the second Colts' game and never returned to the lineup. Darious Williams eventually replaced him and he improved the level of play at LCB, but given his diminutive size, I question if he is truly the longer term answer at the position. The demotion of Griffin and the promotion of Williams meant Tre Herndon stuck around. But after he performed well in the aftermath of the Ramsey trade, he has since been underwhelming at nickel. Safety appears to be in decent hands with Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins. Cisco is entering his 3rd year and appears poised to have a big year, coming into camp more muscular than he had been. Jenkins was the hero of the Dallas and Tennessee games late in the year, and he could eventually find himself in Jaguars lore for his contributions. The 3rd S who has gained popularity is Wyoming S Andrew Wingard. His play has improved and he has provided two memorable quotes. I think the only thing that potentially threatens his spot on the roster at this point is the league's de-emphasis of special teams. The draft brought a couple of rookies, though the expectation was that CB would be addressed much earlier in the draft than the 6th round pick they used on the Rutgers kid. They also added a S in Antonio Johnson out of Texas A &M who went two rounds lower than expected.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
1. I would grade him out with a C. As a first time coordinator last year I think he had his work cut out for him. Baalke did a lot of work over there through free agency and the draft to try and bolster it out and I think we should hopefully see some better things out of them as a squad in 2023. I don't expect a massive jump up in performance but I think we'll be looking back later on this year or next year with giving Caldwell a better overall grade. Expectations should be higher with Walker and Lloyd. I also think our schedule is favorable and I think our offense could get this team in a position with multiple leads throughout the year the forces our opponents to abandon balance and become one dimensional.
2. I don't think so. This scheme doesn't really enable guys to flash too much in the pass rushing department. We don't really see a lot of anything intriguing anymore with the Pro-Bowl. I would be thrilled to see All-Pro votes thrown around at any of our players though. Especially on defense.
3. I expect the LB corps as a whole to step up BIG TIME in 2023. Starting with Allen and Walker on the outside and Lloyd inside. I don't think Muma needs to see the field if Lloyd is doing his job. I am excited about Abdullah. Has Hasaan Riddick written all over him. Would like to see Caldwell get creative early and often with him out there. I am a Bulldogs fan but Miller seems like a run defending middle linebacker and I think he's a guy they probably look towards in 2024 to replace Oloukon at some point. We'll have to create cap space to resign guys like Lawrence and Ridley more than likely.
4. I don't think they'll sign anybody else really. The closest opportunity to add onto it was maybe trading for Baker out of Arizona but that didn't have much body to it I guess. Maybe smoke and mirrors back in April. I think the surprise contributor will be that CB out or Rutgers. I could see him making splash plays this preseason and earning a spot as an outside CB for depth that plays here and there.
1. Coaching: No doubt, Caldwell's defense had a bad year and he has to be given much responsibility. However, 1st year coordinators with several new players (many being very young) are not likely to have much success. I expect much improvement from the defense due to the experience gained by players like Walker, Lloyd and Cisco. How good the defense will be depends on whether the youngsters do improve as well as the team finding someone reliable to play nickel. It could be Herndon doing better if the pass rush also improves or Braswell from Rutgers. Caldwell's grade next year will be greatly effected by these factors.
2.I don't believe anyone along the line will be a pro bowl player as long as they stick primarily to the 3-4. I do believe Walker will get several snaps along the line and he does have the capability to be a pro-bowler.
3.The linebacker position is the most interesting. I expect Walker, Lloyd and Muma to all improve significantly. Still not sure if Walker would be better playing on the line, but we'll get that answer this season. As far as the rookies, I love Caldrac's optimism about Abdullah and hope he is right. It's certainly possible, but he'll have to overcome the same physical liabilities that prevented previous undersized college pass-rushers to be just mediocre in the NFL. Miller seems like the kind of guy who will be very good on special teams, but his physical limitations will prevent him from having much success as a starting linebacker.
4.My greatest disappointment this off-season was the team's failing to draft a starting nickel when several were available as far down as the top of round 4. They then have passed on the top free agents who could have played nickel. Obviously, they have enough confidence that Herndon, Braswell or Hallett will do a satisfactory job at that spot. I don't really see any other options in free agency other than Bryce Callahan and I'm guessing that Baalke/Caldwell don't believe he'd be an upgrade over what they already have. In the quarterback-rich AFC, they better be right!
(06-17-2023, 12:42 PM)TheDuke007 Wrote: [ -> ]I won't quote the message because it is so long, so I'll just repeat the question and give my answer.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player?
My answer: I hope I'm wrong, but my honest answer is no. I don't see any of them as having Pro Bowl potential.
3. Linebackers
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year?
My answer: It's a good question. I expect improvement. How much improvement will be one of the biggest questions going into this season.
Question: Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
My answer: Travon Walker. His competition is Lloyd who has the potential to take a big leap, but I'm not sure that he will. I feel more confident that Walker will take a step forward and has the potential to take a big step forward.
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far?
My answer: I've learned to be skeptical of the speed pass rushers who lack size. They always look great on college tape, but it often doesn't translate well to the NFL. I also don't put much into mini camp performance. There's generally a speed versus size trade-off with players. When practicing without pads, I think it gives the advantage to speed players. It's not until the pads are worn that the small speedy player's weaknesses get exposed. It's the off-season, so I like to be optimistic. Some small speedy guys do make an impact so hopefully Abdullah is one of them. I see him as a "boom or bust" prospect.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
My answer: Cisco. He played minimally his rookie year, so in some ways last year was effectively a rookie year to him. I think he can take a step forward. That being said, I think having Williams full time on the outside will be a major plus for the secondary. I know it may be unconventional with his size, but he just plays better there. I saw one rankings that had him as the 9th best cornerback. While I think that's high, I do think he played well on the outside. I'm also hoping one of our rookies surprises, but that's more wishful thinking than a prediction.
Regarding the DLine, I had high hopes for Hamilton, but he never developed into the dominator I hoped. I do like how RRH has developed and hope he makes another step, but I share your assessment.
LB- I wish I had your optimism regarding Travon Walker. I hope I am wrong, but Walker seemed like just a guy to me. Lloyd at least had that good first month where he flashed before his play fell off. But I didn't see that same potential in Walker, even if you accept the narrative that Walker improved down the stretch late.
I am with you on the undersized edge rusher. I remember Jorge Cordova. He supposedly had this huge game against Khalif Barnes in college, and Barnes was taken in the 2nd round in the same draft. But Cordova did nothing. I remember seeing him in training camp. I am, what. 5-8...5-9 tops and stood next to Cordova. I don't believe he was 6-0. He didn't look big at all. In Abdullah's defense, in the clips I saw of him, he looked like more than a one dimensional edge rusher. He looked more like a good all around LB.
Not sure why Cisco would be a surprise.
Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
Iffy, I think his biggest mistake is leaving Herndon (and Griffin earlier on in the year) to essentially play 1 on 1 with the WR they were covering, without much safety help. It cost us immensely in many games, however there were games where the defense came up extremely clutch for us (specifically the chargers playoff game) to which I have to give him some credit.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl calibeber player?
I think Walker has the potential to do so, I sort of expect Josh Allen to be a better player this year because it's a contract year.. He has the ability to play well, but he often times just dissapears in games and I feel like it's more lack of effort than skill.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
I think we have a really nice roster of linebackers, and while I think they'd fit much better in a 4-3 base defense because of WHO we have, I think personally that Chad Muma will end up being the guy we thought Lloyd would be (not to say Lloyd wont be a good player tho)
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
Don't know much about V Miller, but I do like what I've seen on tape from Abdullah. Too hard to tell at the moment.. but I am at least hopeful he has a shot to be a productive rusher.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
I don't anticipate a signing, but I really wish we would. Theres very few corners in the NFL i'd not take over Tre Herndon, I don't want him on the field barring injury to whoever he's backing up.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
If I had to guess, i'd say Antonio Johnson but I do not currently know what their plans are for him. But from what I understand he was excellent in college when playing in the slot position, i'd love it if he took Herndons job. But I'm not sure if they view him as a NB or a Safety.. so, guess time will tell?
Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
I would give Caldwell a "C+" for last season. Most importantly, the defense was 12th best in the NFL in points allowed per game in the regular season. He had a significant number of very young starters, that hopefully can be developed further by Caldwell's staff this next season.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player?
From the interior DL, no. Robertson-Harris, Faukasi, and Hamilton are solid players, but not pro bowl level. On the outside, Allen has the ability if he can gain consistency and Walker has the potential but I think he'll still need another year of development to get to that level.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
In the interior, Oluokun is a tackling machine with developing rookies with high upside next to him in Lloyd and the rotating Muma. Quarterman and newly added Miller should provide solid depth and special teams play. On the outside, Allen is solid and will be further motivated in a contract year, while Walker has tremendous upside with experience and further technique. Abdullah has the potential to add a pass rush specialist element, similar to Ngakoue, but we haven't seen him in pads yet. Overall, I think it is a solid unit, with a need for improved pass rush productivity. I think the biggest leap in performance better be from Walker.
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
Too soon to say much about Abdullah, as he hasn't put on any pads yet. Although not a Gator fan, I watched a number of UF games and thought Miller was a good player. He should provide an upgrade to the popular Quarterman in terms of starting potential with development and special teams ability.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
No. I think Baalke believes one of the developing youth (Brown, Junior, Braswell, Hallett, Hayes...) may step up at some point this season. But until then, Herndon is a serviceable placeholder.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
I expect Campbell, Williams, Jenkins, and Cisco to be contributors, so I don't see them as candidates for surprise contributor. Between the youth, I can see either Brown or Braswell becoming the surprise contributor.
For those of us who rated Caldwell a "C: or lower, what would you like to see more of from the defense>
Does the team blitz rnough?
Is it like Jauron's defense in that it doesn't time the blitzes effectively?
Do they not play enough man coverage, or too much?
What exactly are your problems with the scheme?
How much of the schematic problems do you think are a function is attributable to his lack of experience as a coordinator?
How much is attributable to a lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball? Is the defense too young?
(06-25-2023, 09:37 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]For those of us who rated Caldwell a "C: or lower, what would you like to see more of from the defense>
Does the team blitz rnough?
Is it like Jauron's defense in that it doesn't time the blitzes effectively?
Do they not play enough man coverage, or too much?
What exactky are your problems with the schene>
How much of the schematic problems do you think are a function is attributable to his lack of experience as a coordinator?
How much is attributable to a lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball? Is the defense too young?
I think most of this stuff boils down to not having enough coverage talent in the secondary last year, a couple of rookies taking their lumps, and a new DC trying to decide how to get the most out of what he had. That was a work in progress that seemed to improve over the course of the season.
But, yes I'd like to see a few more blitzes dialed up per game. Caldwell hinted that could happen in a presser.
The blitz timing was hit and miss - I'll reserve critical judgement until this year's effort is seen.
Man coverage: They literally had one guy in the back five that could play effective man coverage to start the year. When they finally figured out Williams should be outside, that number increased to TWO capable man coverage players. (he was less effective manning up on his guy in the slot)
They played lots of zone because they had to. I don't anticipate that changing radically, but I do believe we'll see lots of mixed coverage. Lots of variations of Cover 2 with some guys in zone and a player or two manning up.
I expect some quarters concept stuff as well, but really, I just want to see Caldwell and company get the best athletes on the field and figure out the best way for them to thrive. That's a mouthful of coach-speak rhetoric, I know, but it's imperative that we see those things demonstrated more clearly than they were last year if we are to feel confident moving forward with Caldwell heading up this defense.
I'm not saying he was bad at this stuff, I'm saying I want to know he's good at it.
Personally, I think the only things this defense really lacks is experience at a couple of spots, plus a dependable nickel corner, and a more consistent interior pocket disruptor.
One of those three things should improve this year due to experience.
The question marks remaining are:
Did we find a late round nickel?
Will someone step up on the DL to bust up the clean pockets we gave QBs last year?
Will Caldwell demonstrate an ability to get the most out of his roster?
I do think this defense will manufacture more sacks and I think a better approach early on to coverage schemes and personnel will be a driving factor in that. (Buying pass rushers more time.)
More creative blitzing + experience for Walker are other positive factors I anticipate.
(06-25-2023, 10:47 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: [ -> ] (06-25-2023, 09:37 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]For those of us who rated Caldwell a "C: or lower, what would you like to see more of from the defense>
Does the team blitz rnough?
Is it like Jauron's defense in that it doesn't time the blitzes effectively?
Do they not play enough man coverage, or too much?
What exactky are your problems with the schene>
How much of the schematic problems do you think are a function is attributable to his lack of experience as a coordinator?
How much is attributable to a lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball? Is the defense too young?
I think most of this stuff boils down to not having enough coverage talent in the secondary last year, a couple of rookies taking their lumps, and a new DC trying to decide how to get the most out of what he had. That was a work in progress that seemed to improve over the course of the season.
But, yes I'd like to see a few more blitzes dialed up per game. Caldwell hinted that could happen in a presser.
The blitz timing was hit and miss - I'll reserve critical judgement until this year's effort is seen.
Man coverage: They literally had one guy in the back five that could play effective man coverage to start the year. When they finally figured out Williams should be outside, that number increased to TWO capable man coverage players. (he was less effective manning up on his guy in the slot)
They played lots of zone because they had to. I don't anticipate that changing radically, but I do believe we'll see lots of mixed coverage. Lots of variations of Cover 2 with some guys in zone and a player or two manning up.
I expect some quarters concept stuff as well, but really, I just want to see Caldwell and company get the best athletes on the field and figure out the best way for them to thrive. That's a mouthful of coach-speak rhetoric, I know, but it's imperative that we see those things demonstrated more clearly than they were last year if we are to feel confident moving forward with Caldwell heading up this defense.
I'm not saying he was bad at this stuff, I'm saying I want to know he's good at it.
Personally, I think the only things this defense really lacks is experience at a couple of spots, plus a dependable nickel corner, and a more consistent interior pocket disruptor.
One of those three things should improve this year due to experience.
The question marks remaining are:
Did we find a late round nickel?
Will someone step up on the DL to bust up the clean pockets we gave QBs last year?
Will Caldwell demonstrate an ability to get the most out of his roster?
I do think this defense will manufacture more sacks and I think a better approach early on to coverage schemes and personnel will be a driving factor in that. (Buying pass rushers more time.)
More creative blitzing + experience for Walker are other positive factors I anticipate.
I think the key to success with any 3-4 defense rests with the 4 LBs. If they are not the play making catalysts of the defense, I don't think the defense is going to be that good. Last year, for myriad reasons, the 4 LBs were not as good as possible and that led to the defense not performing optimally.
I believe the new scheme slowed everyone down. Josh Allen and Foye Oluakon were experienced players but new to the scheme. I don't think they played as fast as they ordinarily would because in part, they were learning the scheme.
Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma were rookies, so they had a steeper learning curve. Not only did they have to learn the scheme, they had to learn the things needed to be successful professionals.
Trayvon Walker not only had to learn the new scheme and the tricks of the trade and the little things needed to be a successful professional, he also had the burden of learning the nuances of a new position. Combined, all of these adjustments limited the effectiveness of the most important position group in a 3-4.
That said, it's not unreasonable to believe that with a year's experience under their belts, the unit as a whole will perform at a higher level this season.
(06-25-2023, 11:44 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ] (06-25-2023, 10:47 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: [ -> ]I think most of this stuff boils down to not having enough coverage talent in the secondary last year, a couple of rookies taking their lumps, and a new DC trying to decide how to get the most out of what he had. That was a work in progress that seemed to improve over the course of the season.
But, yes I'd like to see a few more blitzes dialed up per game. Caldwell hinted that could happen in a presser.
The blitz timing was hit and miss - I'll reserve critical judgement until this year's effort is seen.
Man coverage: They literally had one guy in the back five that could play effective man coverage to start the year. When they finally figured out Williams should be outside, that number increased to TWO capable man coverage players. (he was less effective manning up on his guy in the slot)
They played lots of zone because they had to. I don't anticipate that changing radically, but I do believe we'll see lots of mixed coverage. Lots of variations of Cover 2 with some guys in zone and a player or two manning up.
I expect some quarters concept stuff as well, but really, I just want to see Caldwell and company get the best athletes on the field and figure out the best way for them to thrive. That's a mouthful of coach-speak rhetoric, I know, but it's imperative that we see those things demonstrated more clearly than they were last year if we are to feel confident moving forward with Caldwell heading up this defense.
I'm not saying he was bad at this stuff, I'm saying I want to know he's good at it.
Personally, I think the only things this defense really lacks is experience at a couple of spots, plus a dependable nickel corner, and a more consistent interior pocket disruptor.
One of those three things should improve this year due to experience.
The question marks remaining are:
Did we find a late round nickel?
Will someone step up on the DL to bust up the clean pockets we gave QBs last year?
Will Caldwell demonstrate an ability to get the most out of his roster?
I do think this defense will manufacture more sacks and I think a better approach early on to coverage schemes and personnel will be a driving factor in that. (Buying pass rushers more time.)
More creative blitzing + experience for Walker are other positive factors I anticipate.
I think the key to success with any 3-4 defense rests with the 4 LBs. If they are not the play making catalysts of the defense, I don't think the defense is going to be that good. Last year, for myriad reasons, the 4 LBs were not as good as possible and that led to the defense not performing optimally.
I believe the new scheme slowed everyone down. Josh Allen and Foye Oluakon were experienced players but new to the scheme. I don't think they played as fast as they ordinarily would because in part, they were learning the scheme.
Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma were rookies, so they had a steeper learning curve. Not only did they have to learn the scheme, they had to learn the things needed to be successful professionals.
Trayvon Walker not only had to learn the new scheme and the tricks of the trade and the little things needed to be a successful professional, he also had the burden of learning the nuances of a new position. Combined, all of these adjustments limited the effectiveness of the most important position group in a 3-4.
That said, it's not unreasonable to believe that with a year's experience under their belts, the unit as a whole will perform at a higher level this season.
I agree in general that the LBs were limiting for the defense.
To bridge your comments to mine, I'd say:
* The secondary issues I mentioned and the lack of push in the middle on pass downs I described directly affected Josh Allen's ability to get home quickly to the QB. Thus, the high number of pressures, but low number of sacks.
Add an ostensibly improved secondary to Walker having a sophomore year and I think the OLBs see improved production. Scheme/blitzing adjustments should help too.
*ILB struggles came mostly down to a quick collision with the rookie wall from Lloyd, and as you mentioned, Oluokun adapting to a new scheme. With all the talent in that meeting room entering a second year in the system, I do feel this half of the LB corps will also improve.
(06-25-2023, 09:37 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]For those of us who rated Caldwell a "C: or lower, what would you like to see more of from the defense>
Does the team blitz rnough?
Is it like Jauron's defense in that it doesn't time the blitzes effectively?
Do they not play enough man coverage, or too much?
What exactly are your problems with the scheme?
How much of the schematic problems do you think are a function is attributable to his lack of experience as a coordinator?
How much is attributable to a lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball? Is the defense too young?
Without doing a full on break down of the defense, but rather posting my opinion based on casually watching the games as a fan.. it just felt like at times he put too much faith in players who just werent good enough to be counted on in one on one roles.. with that being said he also had to have had a difficult time trying to coordinate a blitz because unfortunately outside if campbell and williams our secondary was pretty bad so most of the time when we did blitz, we would see guys like Jenkins and Herndon get picked on
(06-24-2023, 03:44 PM)ChrisJagBoy Wrote: [ -> ]Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
Iffy, I think his biggest mistake is leaving Herndon (and Griffin earlier on in the year) to essentially play 1 on 1 with the WR they were covering, without much safety help. It cost us immensely in many games, however there were games where the defense came up extremely clutch for us (specifically the chargers playoff game) to which I have to give him some credit.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player?
I think Walker has the potential to do so, I sort of expect Josh Allen to be a better player this year because it's a contract year.. He has the ability to play well, but he often times just dissapears in games and I feel like it's more lack of effort than skill.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
I think we have a really nice roster of linebackers, and while I think they'd fit much better in a 4-3 base defense because of WHO we have, I think personally that Chad Muma will end up being the guy we thought Lloyd would be (not to say Lloyd wont be a good player tho)
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
Don't know much about V Miller, but I do like what I've seen on tape from Abdullah. Too hard to tell at the moment.. but I am at least hopeful he has a shot to be a productive rusher.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
I don't anticipate a signing, but I really wish we would. Theres very few corners in the NFL i'd not take over Tre Herndon, I don't want him on the field barring injury to whoever he's backing up.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
If I had to guess, i'd say Antonio Johnson but I do not currently know what their plans are for him. But from what I understand he was excellent in college when playing in the slot position, i'd love it if he took Herndons job. But I'm not sure if they view him as a NB or a Safety.. so, guess time will tell?
Follow up question 1. So given Griffin's and Herndon's presence on the roster, how should Caldwell have schemed the defense? If the overarching defensive philosophy calls for a single high safety, should they have abandoned that philosophy st the first sign Griffin and Herndon couldn't play it, or given them a chance to adjust to the scheme? If it's the latter, how long should he have given them before making those adjustments?
Follow up question 2L Do you think the team abandons the Walker to OLB experiment envisioned when they drafted him, ot do you typically see 3-4 OLBs as part of the DL?
Follow up question 3: What did you see in Muma's play last year to make you see the jump this year? I was intially high on Muma despite his Wyoming background. But I didn't see him flash much in the regular season.
(06-25-2023, 08:18 AM)ATLjag Wrote: [ -> ]Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
I would give Caldwell a "C+" for last season. Most importantly, the defense was 12th best in the NFL in points allowed per game in the regular season. He had a significant number of very young starters, that hopefully can be developed further by Caldwell's staff this next season.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player?
From the interior DL, no. Robertson-Harris, Faukasi, and Hamilton are solid players, but not pro bowl level. On the outside, Allen has the ability if he can gain consistency and Walker has the potential but I think he'll still need another year of development to get to that level.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
In the interior, Oluokun is a tackling machine with developing rookies with high upside next to him in Lloyd and the rotating Muma. Quarterman and newly added Miller should provide solid depth and special teams play. On the outside, Allen is solid and will be further motivated in a contract year, while Walker has tremendous upside with experience and further technique. Abdullah has the potential to add a pass rush specialist element, similar to Ngakoue, but we haven't seen him in pads yet. Overall, I think it is a solid unit, with a need for improved pass rush productivity. I think the biggest leap in performance better be from Walker.
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
Too soon to say much about Abdullah, as he hasn't put on any pads yet. Although not a Gator fan, I watched a number of UF games and thought Miller was a good player. He should provide an upgrade to the popular Quarterman in terms of starting potential with development and special teams ability.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
No. I think Baalke believes one of the developing youth (Brown, Junior, Braswell, Hallett, Hayes...) may step up at some point this season. But until then, Herndon is a serviceable placeholder.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
I expect Campbell, Williams, Jenkins, and Cisco to be contributors, so I don't see them as candidates for surprise contributor. Between the youth, I can see either Brown or Braswell becoming the surprise contributor.
Follow up question 1: Is it possible that 12th in points allowed ranking was a bit misleading given the offensive dysfunction in the rest of the division and the points given up against teams like Detroit, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore?
Follow up question 2: Given everyone except the rookies now has at least a year in our system, and that the Jaguars did not add a big name defensive player in free agency and did not draft on that side of the ball until the 4th round, do you see the Jaguars improving in that points allowed ranking this year, or will a tougher schedule mask any progress the team makes?
Follow up question 3: What of the biggest leap ISN'T made by Walker? If Walker ,ore than doubles his sack total but Lloyd plays at a Pro Bowl level and Allen has a contract year bump, is the defense still an underwhelming unit?
(06-25-2023, 01:22 PM)NYC4jags Wrote: [ -> ] (06-25-2023, 11:44 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]I think the key to success with any 3-4 defense rests with the 4 LBs. If they are not the play making catalysts of the defense, I don't think the defense is going to be that good. Last year, for myriad reasons, the 4 LBs were not as good as possible and that led to the defense not performing optimally.
I believe the new scheme slowed everyone down. Josh Allen and Foye Oluakon were experienced players but new to the scheme. I don't think they played as fast as they ordinarily would because in part, they were learning the scheme.
Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma were rookies, so they had a steeper learning curve. Not only did they have to learn the scheme, they had to learn the things needed to be successful professionals.
Trayvon Walker not only had to learn the new scheme and the tricks of the trade and the little things needed to be a successful professional, he also had the burden of learning the nuances of a new position. Combined, all of these adjustments limited the effectiveness of the most important position group in a 3-4.
That said, it's not unreasonable to believe that with a year's experience under their belts, the unit as a whole will perform at a higher level this season.
I agree in general that the LBs were limiting for the defense.
To bridge your comments to mine, I'd say:
* The secondary issues I mentioned and the lack of push in the middle on pass downs I described directly affected Josh Allen's ability to get home quickly to the QB. Thus, the high number of pressures, but low number of sacks.
Add an ostensibly improved secondary to Walker having a sophomore year and I think the OLBs see improved production. Scheme/blitzing adjustments should help too.
*ILB struggles came mostly down to a quick collision with the rookie wall from Lloyd, and as you mentioned, Oluokun adapting to a new scheme. With all the talent in that meeting room entering a second year in the system, I do feel this half of the LB corps will also improve.
I agree the secondary has to play better if we are going to get better overall performance from the defense. It's part of the feedback loop that every defense either benefits or suffers from. All things considered, I think one position more than others needs to be upgraded for the unit as a whole to play better: nickel.
I think Herndon was a liability. If Johnson can either play the nickel back/in the box/underneath safety effectively, upgrading Herndon, I can see the defense performing at a higher level this year.
That said, unless he's a super star, I still think that would be a weakness of the defense, and I don't see the secondary matching up well against a team like Cincinnati or AF, assuming they find their QB/Purdy is healthy.
(06-25-2023, 08:38 PM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ] (06-24-2023, 03:44 PM)ChrisJagBoy Wrote: [ -> ]Question: How would you grade Caldwell's performance as defensive coordinator thus far?
Iffy, I think his biggest mistake is leaving Herndon (and Griffin earlier on in the year) to essentially play 1 on 1 with the WR they were covering, without much safety help. It cost us immensely in many games, however there were games where the defense came up extremely clutch for us (specifically the chargers playoff game) to which I have to give him some credit.
Question: Does anyone along the DL develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player?
I think Walker has the potential to do so, I sort of expect Josh Allen to be a better player this year because it's a contract year.. He has the ability to play well, but he often times just dissapears in games and I feel like it's more lack of effort than skill.
Question: What do you expect out of the LB corps this year? Which of last year's rookie LBs will make the biggest leap in performance?
I think we have a really nice roster of linebackers, and while I think they'd fit much better in a 4-3 base defense because of WHO we have, I think personally that Chad Muma will end up being the guy we thought Lloyd would be (not to say Lloyd wont be a good player tho)
Sub question: What do you think of Abdullah so far? If you are a Gator fan, what are your thoughts on Ventrell Miller?
Don't know much about V Miller, but I do like what I've seen on tape from Abdullah. Too hard to tell at the moment.. but I am at least hopeful he has a shot to be a productive rusher.
Question: Do you anticipate the team signing a player to strengthen the secondary?
I don't anticipate a signing, but I really wish we would. Theres very few corners in the NFL i'd not take over Tre Herndon, I don't want him on the field barring injury to whoever he's backing up.
Sub question: Who will be the surprise contributor in the secondary?
If I had to guess, i'd say Antonio Johnson but I do not currently know what their plans are for him. But from what I understand he was excellent in college when playing in the slot position, i'd love it if he took Herndons job. But I'm not sure if they view him as a NB or a Safety.. so, guess time will tell?
Follow up question 1. So given Griffin's and Herndon's presence on the roster, how should Caldwell have schemed the defense? If the overarching defensive philosophy calls for a single high safety, should they have abandoned that philosophy st the first sign Griffin and Herndon couldn't play it, or given them a chance to adjust to the scheme? If it's the latter, how long should he have given them before making those adjustments?
Follow up question 2L Do you think the team abandons the Walker to OLB experiment envisioned when they drafted him, ot do you typically see 3-4 OLBs as part of the DL?
Follow up question 3: What did you see in Muma's play last year to make you see the jump this year? I was intially high on Muma despite his Wyoming background. But I didn't see him flash much in the regular season.
Question 1: Again, i've not watched all-22 film of this past season or anything so it's hard for me to comment on a broad scale, but as i've stated recently there were a lot of big plays given up specifically later in close games by Herndon mainly, but also by Griffin. When looking closer it seemed to me that it was either the case of them sending a full out Blitz and leaving on of them on an island with the guy they were covering, or in other cases I noticed that it seemed they had the single high safety lingering more towards the heavy side of the field, and teams seemed to be very keen to what we were doing because week after week we saw Herndon somehow end up getting beat in a foot race down the sideline for a long pass play. It's difficult for me to say what the greater alternative to what they were doing was, do you swing campbell over to a lesser WR knowing that it's more likely to be a one on one and hope that Herndon/Griffin can match up with the #1 wr with some help over top? I don't know maybe. This is why it's difficult for me to say whether or not Caldwell was inherently bad at his job or if he just didn't have the personel to play his scheme. I lean more towards the corners just being bad than anything else, because on most occasions they were simply getting beat on straight up go routes.. and not even contesting the pass.
Edit: When I say Corners, I'm referring to Griffin/Herndon. Campbell was really good and Williams was sufficient.
Question 2: Yes I view 3-4 OLBs mainly as a part of the D line, though they do need to be able to drop back and cover on ocassion.. I think i'd prefer to see Walker in a traditional 4-3 DE role, or if we remain in the 3-4 i'd like to see him playing at DE/DT. He hasn't shown to be amazing at any specific aspect of his job outside of run defense, so i'd like to see him in a role that requires him to soley focus on rushing the passer and stuffing the run.
Question 3: For me, Muma was consistent in his play, and as he got more playing time our defense as a collective group seemed to play better. Devin Lloyd started out hot, but for some reason he started making goofy mistakes throughout the year (which could just be a rookie thing) but Muma just seemed to get a grasp of what his role was quicker, and remained very consistent even when he entered the lineup as a starter when Lloyd got pulled.