DTs looking strong

[RockPile007]

It's a pay article, but here's the pasted piece....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dedicated: Bills aggressively improved D-Line

 

By Tyler Dunne

BFR Publisher

Posted Jul 9, 2008

 

 

The Bills' run defense has been one of the NFL's worst over the past three years. Look for that to change this season thanks to a wise front office that has invested heavily in the defensive front. BFR's Tyler Dunne explains...

 

 

It took three years.

 

But finally the Buffalo Bills have turned the corner. Since losing the back end of its sumo-sized DT pairing of Ted Washington and Pat Williams – and their combined 680 pounds – the Bills run defense has been a sieve. Washington, Williams and Sam Adams made running backs claustrophobic on a week-to-week basis – consistently giving an inept Drew Bledsoe a chance.

 

But since Williams departed in 2004, Buffalo’s defensive front has never been the same, getting manhandled by opposing offenses. The Bills have rarely been able to set the tempo in any games the past three seasons. In Williams’ final two seasons with Buffalo, 2003 and 2004, the run defense ranked eighth and seventh. The last three years? 31st. 28th. 25th.

 

In 2008, this trend may be reversed. The Bills’ front office committed itself to infusing bonafide talent at defensive tackle with heavy investments. Kyle Williams’ three-year, $14.5 million contract extension last week was the latest chapter in an offseason’s worth of splashes up front. Buffalo traded for Marcus Stroud, who is in the fourth year of his five-year, $31.5 million contract. They signed Pat Williams’ backup in Minnesota – Spencer Johnson – to a five-year, $17.5 million deal and the Bills are still are holding out hope for ’06 first-rounder John McCargo, who is in the third year of his five-year, $8.6 million contract.

 

 

 

Collectively, it’s adding up to one massive risk. Buffalo could have pursued over endeavors this past spring. The Bills had the cap space to cherry pick in free agency and buy any toy they wanted. Tight end Alge Crumpler would have instant aging for first-year starter Trent Edwards. Linebacker Lance Briggs could have made Buffalo’s good linebacker corps great. Bernard Berrian may have been the antibiotic Lee Evans needs to take flight as a top 5 receiver in the NFL and make Turk Schonert’s downfield aspirations realistic.

 

Bank on the decision paying off.

 

When healthy, Stroud is quite possibly the most dominant run-stuffing force in the NFL. At 6-foot-6, Stroud smears the passing window for quarterbacks with windshield-wiper arms, and he has the quickness to penetrate into the backfield. The dogfight next to him should produce a formidable running mate for Stroud.

 

Williams has done the grunt work on Buffalo’s defense the past two seasons at the nose tackle spot. While swallowing double-teams and charging fullbacks, Williams still made 94 tackles over the past two seasons. No easy feat. He may be a sixth-round steal simply waiting to blossom. In a typical 4-3 alignment in one-on-one situations, Williams could be a 70-tackle force.

 

Having Stroud next to him will surely open up clearer lanes. The 6-foot-1, 305-pound Williams will feel like a blind man that can see once again. Opportunities that never existed. Big plays that were formerly impossible to unravel. A whole new world. Just ask John Henderson. In Jacksonville, Stroud and Henderson thrived off each other’s ability to attract multiple blockers. At the duo’s peak in ’03, the Jaguars run defense ranked second in the NFL.

 

 

That being said, McCargo and Johnson won’t roll over. The former was probably taken too high. The latter was probably paid too much. But both have a mysterious aura about them. Injuries have thrown a kink into McCargo’s development, but in his second season he did flash moments of brilliance i.e. 1.5 sacks on the elusive Donovan McNabb in Week 17. McCargo is the quickest of the DT bunch, which could be the yin to Stroud’s yang.

 

Johnson is an unknown. With the Vikings, his fresh legs gave an already stacked defensive front another weapon. Unless he takes training camp by storm, Johnson will probably play the super-sub role with the Bills too.

 

 

The eye-sore replays of Larry Tripplett getting mauled and safeties making tackles 15 yards downfield should be drastically minimized in ’08.

 

Enough’s enough. That was the attitude in the front office. The Bills aggressively acquired two tackles and rewarded another with a hefty extension – action that should have been in motion earlier in the post-Washington/Williams/Adams era.

 

Maybe the Jason Peters situation is getting ugly behind closed doors and maybe the Lee Evans extension is dragging on much longer than expected, but the Bills effectively addressed their No. 1 offseason priority. A healthy rotation of Stroud, Williams, McCargo and Johnson will kick-start a promising defense into motion.

 

thdunne@gmail.com

[2003]

It's a pay article, but here's the pasted piece....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dedicated: Bills aggressively improved D-Line

 

By Tyler Dunne

BFR Publisher

Posted Jul 9, 2008

 

 

The Bills' run defense has been one of the NFL's worst over the past three years. Look for that to change this season thanks to a wise front office that has invested heavily in the defensive front. BFR's Tyler Dunne explains...

 

 

It took three years.

 

But finally the Buffalo Bills have turned the corner. Since losing the back end of its sumo-sized DT pairing of Ted Washington and Pat Williams – and their combined 680 pounds – the Bills run defense has been a sieve. Washington, Williams and Sam Adams made running backs claustrophobic on a week-to-week basis – consistently giving an inept Drew Bledsoe a chance.

 

But since Williams departed in 2004, Buffalo’s defensive front has never been the same, getting manhandled by opposing offenses. The Bills have rarely been able to set the tempo in any games the past three seasons. In Williams’ final two seasons with Buffalo, 2003 and 2004, the run defense ranked eighth and seventh. The last three years? 31st. 28th. 25th.

 

In 2008, this trend may be reversed. The Bills’ front office committed itself to infusing bonafide talent at defensive tackle with heavy investments. Kyle Williams’ three-year, $14.5 million contract extension last week was the latest chapter in an offseason’s worth of splashes up front. Buffalo traded for Marcus Stroud, who is in the fourth year of his five-year, $31.5 million contract. They signed Pat Williams’ backup in Minnesota – Spencer Johnson – to a five-year, $17.5 million deal and the Bills are still are holding out hope for ’06 first-rounder John McCargo, who is in the third year of his five-year, $8.6 million contract.

 

 

 

Collectively, it’s adding up to one massive risk. Buffalo could have pursued over endeavors this past spring. The Bills had the cap space to cherry pick in free agency and buy any toy they wanted. Tight end Alge Crumpler would have instant aging for first-year starter Trent Edwards. Linebacker Lance Briggs could have made Buffalo’s good linebacker corps great. Bernard Berrian may have been the antibiotic Lee Evans needs to take flight as a top 5 receiver in the NFL and make Turk Schonert’s downfield aspirations realistic.

 

Bank on the decision paying off.

 

When healthy, Stroud is quite possibly the most dominant run-stuffing force in the NFL. At 6-foot-6, Stroud smears the passing window for quarterbacks with windshield-wiper arms, and he has the quickness to penetrate into the backfield. The dogfight next to him should produce a formidable running mate for Stroud.

 

Williams has done the grunt work on Buffalo’s defense the past two seasons at the nose tackle spot. While swallowing double-teams and charging fullbacks, Williams still made 94 tackles over the past two seasons. No easy feat. He may be a sixth-round steal simply waiting to blossom. In a typical 4-3 alignment in one-on-one situations, Williams could be a 70-tackle force.

 

Having Stroud next to him will surely open up clearer lanes. The 6-foot-1, 305-pound Williams will feel like a blind man that can see once again. Opportunities that never existed. Big plays that were formerly impossible to unravel. A whole new world. Just ask John Henderson. In Jacksonville, Stroud and Henderson thrived off each other’s ability to attract multiple blockers. At the duo’s peak in ’03, the Jaguars run defense ranked second in the NFL.

 

 

That being said, McCargo and Johnson won’t roll over. The former was probably taken too high. The latter was probably paid too much. But both have a mysterious aura about them. Injuries have thrown a kink into McCargo’s development, but in his second season he did flash moments of brilliance i.e. 1.5 sacks on the elusive Donovan McNabb in Week 17. McCargo is the quickest of the DT bunch, which could be the yin to Stroud’s yang.

 

Johnson is an unknown. With the Vikings, his fresh legs gave an already stacked defensive front another weapon. Unless he takes training camp by storm, Johnson will probably play the super-sub role with the Bills too.

 

 

The eye-sore replays of Larry Tripplett getting mauled and safeties making tackles 15 yards downfield should be drastically minimized in ’08.

 

Enough’s enough. That was the attitude in the front office. The Bills aggressively acquired two tackles and rewarded another with a hefty extension – action that should have been in motion earlier in the post-Washington/Williams/Adams era.

 

Maybe the Jason Peters situation is getting ugly behind closed doors and maybe the Lee Evans extension is dragging on much longer than expected, but the Bills effectively addressed their No. 1 offseason priority. A healthy rotation of Stroud, Williams, McCargo and Johnson will kick-start a promising defense into motion.

 

thdunne@gmail.com

Good Stuff. I certainly am banking on Stroud being a stud and the cog of the Bills' defense. If his injury was still nagging him, I'm sure the Bills and their trainers would have picked up on it during their extensice and thorough research. The other d-tackles will prosper greatly with Stroud facing double teams too. I see this defense being a top-10 unit!

[obie_wan]

Good Stuff. I certainly am banking on Stroud being a stud and the cog of the Bills' defense. If his injury was still nagging him, I'm sure the Bills and their trainers would have picked up on it during their extensice and thorough research. The other d-tackles will prosper greatly with Stroud facing double teams too. I see this defense being a top-10 unit!

 

well - we paid a lot

 

hopefully we get production of the field.

 

Stroud may be a good player - but he only weighs 310 pounds and is 6'-6" - not exactly the prototypical DT. I do believe this author's optimism in his abilty to tie up numberous blockers and stuff the run all by himself is being just slightly exagerated.

[BillnutinHouston]

I realize that in the eyes of many, Marv was and always will be a draft genius. But if McCargo is average this year again, the word "bust" will start being used more often.

 

This reminds me, need to start that Youboty thread...

[Fingon]

well - we paid a lot

 

hopefully we get production of the field.

 

Stroud may be a good player - but he only weighs 310 pounds and is 6'-6" - not exactly the prototypical DT. I do believe this author's optimism in his abilty to tie up numberous blockers and stuff the run all by himself is being just slightly exagerated.

So what professional football team or magazine do you work for?

[VOR]

So what professional football team or magazine do you work for?

He doesn't. He goes off of the most negative thing about a Bills player, whether true or not. Hence the reason he says that Hardy never could beat the jam at the LOS in college, or that Stroud is 310# (LOL!) and can't clog up the middle of the line.

[BillsVet]

I realize that in the eyes of many, Marv was and always will be a draft genius. But if McCargo is average this year again, the word "bust" will start being used more often.

 

This reminds me, need to start that Youboty thread...

 

I've got to wonder what's going through the coaches and front office people's minds wrt McCargo. He did not win the starting job last season, albeit to one of their higher priced FA's from 06 in Tripplett. Entering this season, the Bills gave a vote of confidence to Kyle Williams with a new deal and signed Spencer Johnson to decent money.

 

If McCargo isn't starting this year, giving up a 2nd and 3rd for him just two years ago looks even worse and tarnishes Levy's time as GM a significant amount.

[C.Biscuit97]

well - we paid a lot

 

hopefully we get production of the field.

 

Stroud may be a good player - but he only weighs 310 pounds and is 6'-6" - not exactly the prototypical DT. I do believe this author's optimism in his abilty to tie up numberous blockers and stuff the run all by himself is being just slightly exagerated.

 

Really??? He seemed to make 3 pro bowls as a 310 lbs. guy. And 3rd and a 5th for a pro bowl time talent at DT is not a lot. If everyone sucks on the Bills like you think, why do you spend so much time here? Is your life that boring?

[stinky finger]

I believe everything good that was stated. Any of the slights, not so much.

[C.Biscuit97]

I've got to wonder what's going through the coaches and front office people's minds wrt McCargo. He did not win the starting job last season, albeit to one of their higher priced FA's from 06 in Tripplett. Entering this season, the Bills gave a vote of confidence to Kyle Williams with a new deal and signed Spencer Johnson to decent money.

 

If McCargo isn't starting this year, giving up a 2nd and 3rd for him just two years ago looks even worse and tarnishes Levy's time as GM a significant amount.

 

 

Seriously??? McCargo was essentially a rookie last season and showed some major signs of being a force. He was behind Tripplet becasue LT was the vet and McCargo was very inexperienced. Additionally, he had a leg injury that limited his conditionally before last season. His play definitely improved as the season went on. I think you may the only person who doesn't think McCargo is gonna be a huge part of this defense.

[PNW_Bills_Fan]

I've got to wonder what's going through the coaches and front office people's minds wrt McCargo. He did not win the starting job last season, albeit to one of their higher priced FA's from 06 in Tripplett. Entering this season, the Bills gave a vote of confidence to Kyle Williams with a new deal and signed Spencer Johnson to decent money.

 

If McCargo isn't starting this year, giving up a 2nd and 3rd for him just two years ago looks even worse and tarnishes Levy's time as GM a significant amount.

 

HMMM this will tarnish Levi's gm legacy? First of all the draft is a crap shoot. I believe he has nabbed some good players. He is bound to nab a bad player. I would say that if JM plays out his contract as a contributer, he is not a bust. He may never be an all pro, but he is still a contributer. The other thing is JM has one year of experience under his belt. I think people are way to quick to judge whether he will be a bust or not.

[obie_wan]

Really??? He seemed to make 3 pro bowls as a 310 lbs. guy. And 3rd and a 5th for a pro bowl time talent at DT is not a lot. If everyone sucks on the Bills like you think, why do you spend so much time here? Is your life that boring?

 

Stroud was a good player - he was the gap shooter next to John Henderson.

 

expecting Stroud to come to Buffalo and become a run stuffer to clog the middle is doing him a mis- service. Stroud, if healthy, will bring the most value if he had someone next to him playing the John Henderson role.

 

Unfortunately Kyle Williams isn;t quite to that level.

 

Since we have no true nose tackle, I hope the Bills finally concede the point and let both DTs attack the back field and shoot the gaps on every play.

 

The LBs will need to fill the gaps created by such an approach and it remains to be seen if they are good enough toi make this work.

 

Pretendng Kyle Williams is a nose tackle, though, is not the answer.

[C.Biscuit97]

Stroud was a good player - he was the gap shooter next to John Henderson.

 

expecting Stroud to come to Buffalo and become a run stuffer to clog the middle is doing him a mis- service. Stroud, if healthy, will bring the most value if he had someone next to him playing the John Henderson role.

 

Unfortunately Kyle Williams isn;t quite to that level.

 

Since we have no true nose tackle, I hope the Bills finally concede the point and let both DTs attack the back field and shoot the gaps on every play.

 

The LBs will need to fill the gaps created by such an approach and it remains to be seen if they are good enough toi make this work.

 

Pretendng Kyle Williams is a nose tackle, though, is not the answer.

 

 

Fair enough. However, the Bills will rely on a rotation of bodies on the DL to keep people fresh. The Bears, Bucs, and Colts don't have traditional run stuffers yet manage to play the run just fine. Kyle Williams isn't good enough as a starter playing the majority of snaps. However as a rotational guy, he can be very effective.

 

This is how I view it. There's strength in numbers. I'm not expecting Stroud to be the all pro he was in Jax. However, I don't think it is too much to think he will be better than LT. McCargo will have another year of experience and has show flashes of becoming a good player. And IMO, Williams and Johnson will be very solid rotational guys. I really believe this will be a very strong group and our run defense will be much improved/

[Fingon]

Stroud was a good player - he was the gap shooter next to John Henderson.

 

expecting Stroud to come to Buffalo and become a run stuffer to clog the middle is doing him a mis- service. Stroud, if healthy, will bring the most value if he had someone next to him playing the John Henderson role.

 

Unfortunately Kyle Williams isn;t quite to that level.

 

Since we have no true nose tackle, I hope the Bills finally concede the point and let both DTs attack the back field and shoot the gaps on every play.

 

The LBs will need to fill the gaps created by such an approach and it remains to be seen if they are good enough toi make this work.

 

Pretendng Kyle Williams is a nose tackle, though, is not the answer.

Actually, every scouting report i have read on stroud says that he is strong enough to take on the double team.

[Fingon]

It's really a myth that you have to be fat to stop the run.

[Ramius]

It's really a myth that you have to be fat to stop the run.

 

Shhhhhhhh! you're liable to be hanged around these parts for talk like that. The only way to win is to have big fat guys on both sides of the lines.

[BillsVet]

Seriously??? McCargo was essentially a rookie last season and showed some major signs of being a force. He was behind Tripplet becasue LT was the vet and McCargo was very inexperienced. Additionally, he had a leg injury that limited his conditionally before last season. His play definitely improved as the season went on. I think you may the only person who doesn't think McCargo is gonna be a huge part of this defense.

 

McCargo's a former first round pick who made a few plays last year, but wasn't what the coaches thought was starting material. This year, they went out and signed Stroud, Spencer Johnson, and re-signed Kyle Williams to at the minimum send McCargo a message. If McCargo was the dominant force some are expecting him to be, it's strange that the Bills invested so much in other DT's. All four DT's aren't going to get even playing time, despite all of them getting good money.

 

I often think about what the Bills would be like had they drafted Ngata, not dealt a 2nd and 3rd in 2006, and not mandating they acquire a big DT lin Stroud with a 3rd and 5th this year when their run defense was a sieve. That's four draft picks, not to mention resources directed to signing Spencer Johnson and adding Stroud to the payroll. That's a lot for one position in the span of three off-seasons. McCargo had better be good becaue Buffalo's invested too much in him.

[John from Riverside]

It's really a myth that you have to be fat to stop the run.

They dont have to be fat but they do need to be able to anchor.......

 

They have to be able to slow down and muck up the middle of the OL and make sure that ball carrier does not emerge outside the other side of the pile....

 

If they are doing that they are doing their job in run support

[Ramius]

McCargo's a former first round pick who made a few plays last year, but wasn't what the coaches thought was starting material. This year, they went out and signed Stroud, Spencer Johnson, and re-signed Kyle Williams to at the minimum send McCargo a message. If McCargo was the dominant force some are expecting him to be, it's strange that the Bills invested so much in other DT's. All four DT's aren't going to get even playing time, despite all of them getting good money.

 

I often think about what the Bills would be like had they drafted Ngata, not dealt a 2nd and 3rd in 2006, and not mandating they acquire a big DT lin Stroud with a 3rd and 5th this year when their run defense was a sieve. That's four draft picks, not to mention resources directed to signing Spencer Johnson and adding Stroud to the payroll. That's a lot for one position in the span of three off-seasons. McCargo had better be good becaue Buffalo's invested too much in him.

 

The Bills spent so much on the DL because you need a good rotation of DTs, especially on a cover-2 team where you do NOT have 2 DTs playing 75% of the snaps. Not to mention that Spencer Johnson will be playing some DE as well.

 

Secondly, on the topic of starters, Anthony Thomas was "starting" over Fred Jackson for a while last year. Jauron tends to give his vets the "starting nod" over younger players, even if they are better, and/or have more upside. Also, what does "starting" matter when they rotate. Say Kyle Williams plays the first play of the game, and then McCargo plays more plays? Sure Williams is the "starter," but in reality it doesnt mean much.

[obie_wan]

They dont have to be fat but they do need to be able to anchor.......

 

They have to be able to slow down and muck up the middle of the OL and make sure that ball carrier does not emerge outside the other side of the pile....

 

If they are doing that they are doing their job in run support

 

that's why a guy that is 6'-6" and 310# has teh leverage to be a gap shooter but not the bulk in his butt to anchor playing on the nose.

 

If teh Bills improve against the run, it will be because the DL is causing havoc in the backfield, not because they are overpowering and "stuffing" anyone.