(02-22-2023, 02:42 PM)Cleatwood Wrote:

(02-22-2023, 01:57 PM)NYC4jags Wrote: I see lots and lots of this analysis flying around. 

Might be correct in the end, might not. 

Both Lloyd and Walker may turn out great at the roles envisioned for them despite some middling play in their rookie campaigns.
It could also turn out to be true that they were miscast as you suggest.
 Meaning the scouting done, combined with the coordinator's intent, were either misaligned or both were bad. 

When you combine this with this defense also miscasting Williams as a slot defender, there is a bit of a trend developing. 

Personally - I think that leaving Williams inside as long as they did was far more egregious than anything they did or didn't do with Lloyd and Walker. In fact - moving him outside sooner would have likely HELPED Walker quite a bit and even Lloyd to a lesser degree. 

I'm 100% patient enough to see what this staff has learned from these situations to wait and see how they address them in 2023.
And I'm not gonna trip if Walker is still getting plenty of edge snaps in September. It would be great if he grows into the role.
I do think he'd be great playing 4-3 DE on early downs and moving inside on 3rd and long, but I do think still believe he's raw and malleable and we don't play much straight up 4-3 unless that is part of the staff's 2nd year adjustment. 

 The thing I'm really not sure  about - is just sticking him at 3-4 end/5-tech and calling it a day. Don't think that's getting the most out of him. And that seems to be what many are asking this staff to do with him.

It's not a direct comparison but JJ Watt had 5.5 sacks his rookie year. Patrick Peterson and Von Miller both outplayed him in their rookie years. Then Watt went on a monster tear when he put it all together. This might be Walker in 2023.

Walker was so close so many times this past year. His ability against the run is already the best in the class but when he starts finishing those pressures, I think you'll see the guy we all hoped.

I also mentioned this in another thread but Pederson gives me so much hope. I'm not sure who the last coach was that actually made the players better (Coughlin?) but Pederson will actually teach these guys and hire a staff full of teachers.

I think Walker just needs to learn another pass rush move or two to combine with his bull rush. His natural size and strength is CLEARLY evident. He just needs to build those moves. The other thing I hope coaches are telling him this off season as well. Do not be afraid to attack the QB if you're around him in the pocket. 

I think he had one or two roughing the passer calls and they were critical calls against him but he can't play gun shy out there. I would rather have a guy like him at his size more trigger happy than gun shy. Good example of this is Nick Bosa. I watched him get flagged for roughing Geno Smith on one play and he responded by getting right back after him and put his [BLEEP] in the ground like you're supposed to do. 

That's what I want to see out of him in year two. You're going to make mistakes. [BLEEP] happens. Just don't let it linger and change your entire approach for the rest of the game. Shake that [BLEEP] off and get after it.

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