productivity of older pass rushers - Jerry Hughes

[dave mcbride]

This is a good piece: https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/bills-offseason-questions-bills-must-hope-jerry-hughes-follows-edge-rush-age-trend/article_e21262cc-7c4f-11eb-8e10-27a0a7da2776.html. 

It's also not news. I remember about 10-12 years ago reading an analysis somewhere that demonstrated that older pass rushers aged well, racking up strong production into their 30s. Indeed, Bruce Smith had his best season at the age of 33, and he was awesome at age 34 too (and he remained very good for another three years beyond that). Here's the key passage in this new piece:

 

"Age 33 has not been a production barrier for defensive ends in the way it has been at running back and cornerback. There have been 24 edge rushers who have recorded six or more sacks at age 33 or older in the past 10 seasons. They’ve done it 36 times. So almost four players a year age 33 or older have been substantial contributors to their team’s sack total. Those players include Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Cameron Wake, Terrell Suggs, John Abraham, Julius Peppers and Calais Campbell. Abraham, Peppers, Freeney, Suggs and Wake had eight or more sacks at age 35 or older. And then there’s Lorenzo Alexander, the retired Bill who had 12.5 sacks as mostly an edge rusher at age 33 in 2016. Alexander added 6.5 sacks while rushing more inside than outside at age 35 in 2018."

 

 

 

 

[BuffaloBill]

I still really like Hughes and I hope the Bills get a sane deal done with him. You would think that he wants to retire a Bill but $$$ speak. Time will tell.

[947]

I would not be at all surprised if Hughes gets 10 sacks in 2021, if we add a competent DE across from him and a 1T DT.

 

It'd also help if McD ditched the ridiculous DL rotation & let the best players get the majority of snaps. I think only playing roughly 55% of snaps the past few years has had more of an effect on Jerry's sack totals than eroding skills has.

[Charles Romes]

Bruce’s longevity not discussed enough. Dominated his last game as a Bill at 36, 2.5 sacks v the Titans January 2000. 

[GreggTX]

Sign. Von. Miller.

[Reed83HOF]

This applies to DL and OL overall, those positions tend to fair well when it comes to age and longevity. The speed and agility components of the game are not a large factor of their play, it is mostly strength and knowing blocking schemes (hand positions and such); a skillset that doesn't have a hard cliff like other positions. The wear and tear is substantially less too, a lot less running around and piling up hits in their careers...

 

[78thealltimegreat]

On 3/8/2021 at 1:52 PM, dave mcbride said:

This is a good piece: https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/bills-offseason-questions-bills-must-hope-jerry-hughes-follows-edge-rush-age-trend/article_e21262cc-7c4f-11eb-8e10-27a0a7da2776.html. 

It's also not news. I remember about 10-12 years ago reading an analysis somewhere that demonstrated that older pass rushers aged well, racking up strong production into their 30s. Indeed, Bruce Smith had his best season at the age of 33, and he was awesome at age 34 too (and he remained very good for another three years beyond that). Here's the key passage in this new piece:

 

"Age 33 has not been a production barrier for defensive ends in the way it has been at running back and cornerback. There have been 24 edge rushers who have recorded six or more sacks at age 33 or older in the past 10 seasons. They’ve done it 36 times. So almost four players a year age 33 or older have been substantial contributors to their team’s sack total. Those players include Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Cameron Wake, Terrell Suggs, John Abraham, Julius Peppers and Calais Campbell. Abraham, Peppers, Freeney, Suggs and Wake had eight or more sacks at age 35 or older. And then there’s Lorenzo Alexander, the retired Bill who had 12.5 sacks as mostly an edge rusher at age 33 in 2016. Alexander added 6.5 sacks while rushing more inside than outside at age 35 in 2018."

 

 

 

 

If you saw the list of free agent edge rushers ESPN had today getting a vet to slide on that line won’t be a problem at all..

[T master]

Hughes was double teamed most of the last couple of seasons and still had some effect on the opposition and he didn't really have much help weather it be from the line or the other end if they could get him some help or Epenesa, or Johnson develops a bit more i think he would be better for it .

 

When he had Mario & Kyle with him he was a double digit sack man but he can't do it all on his own ...

Edited March 11, 2021 by T master

[Mango]

54 minutes ago, T master said:

Hughes was double teamed most of the last couple of seasons and still had some effect on the opposition and he didn't really have much help weather it be from the line or the other end if they could get him some help or Epenesa, or Johnson develops a bit more i think he would be better for it .

 

When he had Mario & Kyle with him he was a double digit sack man but he can't do it all on his own ...

 

This is where I am at the moment. If you drop him, you also have to replace him. We already have an issue with pass rusher, Hughes is by far our most productive PR. This is not one of those cases with addition by subtraction. Keep him around, get some help on the other side, and lets go to work.