Off the Edge & Off the Charts

[Flugel]

As we prep ourselves with collections of mock draft projections for biggest needs, I thought I'd dig since I have the day off here. I'm going to compile a list of the 2010 NFL Sack Leaders and then I'm going to inform you WHERE these guys were drafted. What I want you as the readers to take note of is how many of these guys were actually drafted before selection #10 overall. Take a look:

 

Name Team Sacks# (Draft slot)

Demarcus Ware Dal 15.5 (1st rd 11th overall )

Tamba Hali KC 14.5 (1st rd 20th overall)

Cameron Wake Mia 14.0 (Undrafted)

Clay Matthews GB 13.5 (1st rd 26th overall - alot of people got fired missing this gem)

John Abraham Atl 13.0 (1st rd 13th overall)

Jason Babin TN 12.5 (1st rd 27th overall )

Charles Johnson Car 11.5 (3rd rd 83rd overall)

Justin Tuck NYG 11.5 (3rd rd 74th overall)

Osi Umenyiora NYC 11.5 (2nd rd 56th overall)

Chris Clemons Sea 11.0 (Undrafted out of Georgia)

Shaun Phillips SD 11.0 (4th rd 98th overall)

Robert Mathis Ind 11.0 (5th rd)

Jared Allen Min 11.0 (4th rd 126th overall)

Terrell Suggs Bal 11.0 (1st rd 10th overall & only guy to make top 10 of draft)

James Hall StL 10.5 (Undrafted)

James Harrison Pit 10.5 (Undrafted)

Dwight Freeney Ind 10.0 (1st rd 11th overall)

Trent Cole Phi 10.0 (5th rd)

LaMarr Woodley Pit 10.0 (2nd rd 46th overall - RAC would like to thank Opie from the bottom of his heart)

 

I look at a team like the Houston Texans that drafted Mario Williams with the same intentions we once drafted Courtney Brown with at #1 overall. The REASON they went that high was because their franchises thought they would be THE difference. HERE lies the bigger problem which doesn't lie folks. When you go to a team that SUCKS at stopping the run, hard to find your place in the sun chasing passers against opponents that don't have the very 1st reason to throw at you.

 

There's been alot of glamour, sic em appealing guys coming with sack packed resumes out of college. BUT, some of these Florida State kids that were getting dialed up in seemingly every round 1 off the edge just STUNK when NFL teams found it exciting pounding the football down their throats. We could name them all pre-draft; but we forgot them even easier. I ain't gonna sugarcoat this reality when we're contemplating a #6 overall pick if all someone is good at is embarassing lesser competition with stuff they won't get away with at the next level. The NFL finds weaknesses on film so the 1 trick ponies living as Cinderella never even make it to midnight. Gaines Adams using the olay move off the edge was working wonderfully UNTIL Carolina said let's run right inside that OT getting olayed. Well over 300 yards later, we would see the side of Gaines Adams all future opponents would exploit. Not only that, it fit my concern "if teams can't stop the run why throw on them?" Exploit the favorables I say.

 

If Green and Fairley are both gone at #6 overall, I would not mind trading down for more picks in rounds alot of these pass rushing edge guys have been found more frequently. If Benard didn't have health issues the last 5 or 6 weeks, he projected about 10 to 11 sacks which makes that list above folks. In trading down, we could get Julio Jones or Heckert's version of the best WR available later in round 1. The round 2 WR thing is a heebeegeebee dejavue dating back as far as Lawyer Tillman. They all look to make sense at the time; but we haven't had the eyes for talent to snag the Wallaces, Sanders, Colstons after round one prior to Heckert.

 

- Tom F.

[The Gipper]

As I see it, Fluges, everyone has probably been chasing the next "Bruce Smith" with their high draft picks.

Certainly the Browns thought they had that player when they took Courtney Brown. But it just hasn't been working out.

[ballpeen]

Thanks for the effort.

 

I will add it isn't just about sacks.

[Thaak]

It would be interesting to see Tackles, Defensive Rushing given up (outside runs for the DE's), TFL, etc.

 

And for more than just 2010.

 

But the stat is certainly an interesting one.

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Great read, judging by them numbers were in luck. Most 4-3 teams get their guys in later rounds

 

I look at a team like the Houston Texans that drafted Mario Williams with the same intentions we once drafted Courtney Brown with at #1 overall. The REASON they went that high was because their franchises thought they would be THE difference. HERE lies the bigger problem which doesn't lie folks. When you go to a team that SUCKS at stopping the run, hard to find your place in the sun chasing passers against opponents that don't have the very 1st reason to throw at you.

 

Very true but also if a team doesn't score many points, theres not much reason to try to light'em up through the air. Indy has two guys on that list. If they weren't playing with a lead most of the time, Freeney and Mathis are probably liabilities. So the key to a good pass rush is either Score alot of points or stop the run, doing so makes playcalling predictable giving pass rushers a chance to tee off.

 

Is it better to be a dominant run-stopping defense like the Steelers, Bears, Jets, Chargers, Ravens or Scoring offense like the Patriots, Chargers, Eagles, Colts, Falcons? Judging by the Chargers stats mean nothing.