Saints Maintain Confidence in Stephone Anthony (1 Viewer)

ELLIASJWILLIAMS

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Figured the board could use some good news on his front.


So, has the coaching staff lost confidence in the team's leading tackler from the 2015 season?

"Absolutely not, absolutely not," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said emphatically during a Thursday conference call. "I think we still have confidence in Steph and we have to continue developing him."

"I think one of the things that he's got to continue to do is just grow from just understanding the pro football game," Allen said. "We kind of moved him around a little bit, and so he's had to learn a lot of different things.



Saints maintain confidence in LB Stephone Anthony | NOLA.com
 
A couple more good quotes about his lack of playing time:

This season, Anthony has four tackles.

Still, a change in position could offer an explanation to the diminished playing time and overall production from a season ago.

The Saints moved Anthony from middle linebacker to the strong side during the offseason, and his transition and absorbing what the new role calls for appear to be factors.

"I think one of the things that he's got to continue to do is just grow from just understanding the pro football game," Allen said. "We kind of moved him around a little bit, and so he's had to learn a lot of different things.

"I think the thing that you look at with Steph is you look at a guy that's a big, physical guy that can run. His issues and his things that he's got to improve on really come from just his understanding of what we're trying to ask him to do."

The Saints defensive coordinator indicated with the new role comes a challenge in placing Anthony in position to succeed on the field.

Anthony, who started in Week 1 and Week 3, has also been affected by personnel packages. The Saints opened Week 2 and Week 4 in a nickel package (five defensive backs), which leaves the middle and weakside linebackers on the field.

Nevertheless, the Saints want to take advantage of what the linebacker does well.

"One thing he can do well is he can run and hit," Allen said. "And so we've got to find positions that we can put him in those positions where he's got a chance to do those things, and maybe take a little bit of the thought process out for him."

More importantly, the Saints haven't lost faith.

"Look, let's not forget here's another young player," Allen said. "So, I think we still have confidence in him and we're going to continue to work with him and continue to try to improve him."
 
"take a little bit of the thought process out"

that kind of worries me
 
That's a bunch of bull-poop! Why did they move him in the 1st place? The move from MLB to OLB was supposed to simplify things for him, but he's having trouble understanding what to do? This is bunch of coach-speak nonsense!

The only thing that would've made me feel that he is t heading straight down to BUST-Ville is if they said he's still recovering from a preseason injury and isn't 100% yet. That's it.

This article only makes me feel more like they wasted a pick on this dude and then made it worse by forcing him into a new position.
 
The Anthony situation is one of those deals where the quotes in the paper just don't match what you see on the field. I just wish the young man the best and hope there's enough substance to Allen's words. He seems to have the kind of character the organization wants players to have.
 
I just didn't consider him a liability last season. He looked like one of the few bright spots. Maybe I completely misread it.
 
rewatch the film from last year. We were horrible down the middle of the field against both TE and RB. He was one of the main reasons why. Greg Olsen in particular ate his lunch numerous times in both games.
 
So, he was the leading tackler in Rob Ryan's "complicated" defense and yet barely makes it on the field in Dennis Allen's "simplified" defense? But," he's got to continue to do is just grow from just understanding the pro football game". Something is rotten in the state of Denmark if you ask me. :aargh:
 

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