Let's say he ends next year with 5.5 sacks and 2 FF. And not many pressures.
I'll be honest, I'm expecting 10 plus sacks for 5-7 years. But after listening to 1010 this morning, I'm gonna chill out on that.
I want a CB in round 1...but if we go DE, I won't be upset one bit.
I wanted Cooper last year and Robinson went beast mode, so I hope Gus and Nem get it right.
Quote:Let's say he ends next year with 5.5 sacks and 2 FF.
I'd be ecstatic if that is his "rookie" stat line.
Quote:My bad, wrong thread
Wrong thread for what?
When it comes to Fowler I'm not sure he ends up being a big sack number guy if we keep this same defense for his career here (not likely honestly) as I expect him to be used all over the place and in more roles than a pass rusher.
Quote:Wrong thread for what?
When it comes to Fowler I'm not sure he ends up being a big sack number guy if we keep this same defense for his career here (not likely honestly) as I expect him to be used all over the place and in more roles than a pass rusher.
Wrong thread for what he presumably wrote before he replaced it with the wrong thread line.
Quote:Wrong thread for what he presumably wrote before he replaced it with the wrong thread line.
Unless he's got magic powers that post was never changed.
Quote:Unless he's got magic powers that post was never changed.
Oh I can't tell on mobile.
Id be cool with that stat line this coming season. Im not going to be hard on him at all tho, I dont expect one player coming off an injury into his first year to do all that much.
It's in NFL thread. I meant to put it under Jaguars topics.
I guess it depends upon who "we" are, and how those expectations manifest themselves.
Granted there are high expectations that will naturally accompany being the 3rd overall pick. If the team didn't expect him to be a good to great player, they wouldn't have picked him that highly. Of course, the fans expectations are going to be high, regardless, but higher still for a guy picked that high.
I think Fowler himself knows that, and has high expectations of himself.
But I think if the team and fans expect him to completely rebound from his torn ACL and, after a year plus away from football, in his rookie year, put up double digit sacks, especially without any additional pass rushers being brought in, then yes, the expectations from the team and the fans are totally unrealistic.
Even IF the team brings in other accomplished pass rushers to take attention away from him, it's folly to expect too much from him his first year. Some of the best pass rushers in NFL history started off modestly.
J.J. Watt, who is on pace to have a Hall of Fame career as a prolific and dominant pass rusher, started out his career with 5.5 sacks his first year. Khalil Mack, who was amongst the league leaders in sacks this year right behind Watt, had only 4 sacks his rookie year before jumping to 15 in this, his second season. Justin Houston, who led the NFL in sacks in 2014, had only 5.5 sacks his rookie year. Robert Quinn of the Rams only had about 5.5 sacks his first year.
Now there have been some pass rushers to come in as rookies and have immediate impact. Jevon Kearse had 14.5 sacks his rookie year. Dwight Freeney started his career with a 13 sack rookie year. Derrick Thomas had 10 sacks his rookie year. But there are some important factors to consider. Kearse and Freeney both had rare sub 4.4 speed. Freeney and Kearse both also played with a lot of leads in their rookie seasons. Derrick Thomas had the benefit of playing opposite another dominant defensive lineman in Neil Smith, in a scheme that has historically produced good pass rushers with Marty Schottenheimer. None of those guys had torn their ACLs, either.
I have seen and read and heard enough of Fowler to make me hopeful he can develop into a good pass rusher for us in time. But I am glad you eventually tempered your first year expectations of him. A lot has to go right for him to reach the level we hope he will, especially in his first year.
Yes. My top priority this offseason would be to sign a free agent pass rusher. It would be foolish to completely rely on Fowler, even if he was 100% healthy.
I just know that he put too much pressure on his knee.