Some of the biggest issues on defense! (1 Viewer)

[BigSaintsFAN9]

I was reading the PFF refocus from last nights game and it basically mentioned its time to find out what we have in younger talent as many of the vets are not producing. I looked up the grades for last nights game and Will Smith, Harper, and Vilma were the worst graded guys.

Here is one glaring problem is saw last night:


Our highest paid DE Will Smith produced just 1 QB hurry

He is under a 6 year $70 Mil contract, but after restricting his $10M cap hit for this year next years look like
2013 $14.5 Million cap hit
2014 $14 M cap hit
Will Smith Contract, Salaries, and Transactions


The Falcons top DE John Abraham produced 1 sack, 2 hits, 6 hurries, 2 batted passes

He just signed a new 3 year contract for $16.7 M
2012 $4M cap hit
2013 $6M cap hit
2014 $6M cap hit
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/john-abraham/

I don't know if its loyalty to these guys, but for Smith is making double what Abraham makes, yet is producing about 10%

By PFF grades, of the 61 DEs playing 4-3 graded, Smith is ranked 60th!



To end this on a positive note, we continued to have great performances from guys like Ellis, Hawthorne, Cassillas, Rafael Bush at FS was highest offensive grade, Hicks, Cam Jordan, and more!

 

[saints2k8]

Jenkins needs to be moved to CB - Harper needs to take a huge paycut

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/11/30/refo-saints-falcons-week-13/

New Orleans – Three Performances of Note

Safety warning
Most teams deploy their safeties as a last line of defense, a pairing to clean up for mistakes by the rest of the defense or keep a lid on the offense. The Saints though seem to operate in a manner that ensures that their safeties can do catastrophic damage to the rest of a defense that is prone to letting big plays slip. The Saints’ starting pairing combined for three missed tackles in this game and they both missed Michael Turner on his 35 yard rumble on the second offensive snap of the game. Roman Harper then compounded that with a truly baffling coverage decision on the second snap of the second quarter. Rather than staying in bracket coverage on Tony Gonzalez to the endzone Harper peeled off to cover absolutely no-one, except for perhaps slot corner Elbert Mack. This left Curtis Lofton abandoned with Gonzalez in the endzone and though Lofton did about all he could with some good positioning he couldn’t prevent the completion. Third year player and first year Saint Rafael Bush recorded a season high 31 snaps and came up with a potentially game turning play in run defense. Time for a changing of the guard? Time for a change of system? Time for both?

- The two missed tackles for Malcolm Jenkins in this game took his season total to 20 and this marks the seventh time this season that he has missed more than one tackle in a game. Jenkins is, somehow, on course to break Tanard Jackson’s mark of 24 from last season – the most we have ever recorded for a safety in a single season.

I knew it was bad.. just not that bad

 

[whosyadaddy]

I don't know the exact number for the cap hit that would result in us cutting Smith, but I cannot for the life of me see us keeping him for 2013. He cannot restructure so what other option is there? We need a speed guy opposite Jordan in the worst way. With the talent in this year's draft, signing an effective pass rushing end that would be playing on a rookie contract makes the most sense considering our current salary cap challenges.

 

[BigSaintsFAN9]

I mentioned this at bottom of top post, but is worth mentioning by itself,

Rafael Bush 2.9, highest graded defensive player, Greer, Hicks, Prob, and Lofton at 1.9, 1.7, 1.6, and 1.2 are all next highest.

Bush played 31 snaps at FS, I assume with Quddus out, he was in Nickel. This was his first defensive play except for 3 snaps at SS against Denver. With Jenkins and Harper not doing do well, it looks promising to have someone do so well in just their first game, and that's not mentioning his special teams play which has been really good also!

Bush 31 snaps, 9 rush, 1 pass rush, 21 coverage
For that one pass rush he produced 1 QB hurry which matches WSmiths 49 tries.
He also had 2 tackles, 2 asst, and 2 stops!

 

[los226]

Will Smith has to go. Sedrick Ellis did alright last night, but all year he's been getting manhandled. He needs to go as well.

Vilma has done bad, but it's understandable with the combination of legal issues and injury. I feel he is a big reason we are in better position out on the field. We should bring him back for leadership at a cheap price. I seriously doubt his suspension gets reduced and see him ending his career this year, but winning his defamation case.

I can't really say I want Harper gone. He does need to get back to his usual tackling. He used to be the best tackler on the team and has now joined the secondary with their poor excuse of tackling.

 

[Danneaux]

Just my opinion, but our front seven lacks way more playmakers than our back 4.

Granted Harper isn't an ideal fit in a Left-Right safety system and Jenkins looks great one week and horrible the next, but their deficiencies pale in comparison to our front seven talent.

I'd place RDE, DT, WLB, SLB and a 3rd CB as primary needs before either of our safties.

 

[BigSaintsFAN9]

Will Smith has to go. Sedrick Ellis did alright last night, but all year he's been getting manhandled. He needs to go as well.

Vilma has done bad, but it's understandable with the combination of legal issues and injury. I feel he is a big reason we are in better position out on the field. We should bring him back for leadership at a cheap price. I seriously doubt his suspension gets reduced and see him ending his career this year, but winning his defamation case.

I can't really say I want Harper gone. He does need to get back to his usual tackling. He used to be the best tackler on the team and has now joined the secondary with their poor excuse of tackling.

Kinda disagree on Ellis, he has produced every game and graded negatively only 3 times of 13 games. He looks to have had a good showing against 49ers also.
Whith guys like Smith, Harper, Vilma all making top money and grading negatively almost every game, I think you're targeting wrong guy.

 

[BigSaintsFAN9]

Just my opinion, but our front seven lacks way more playmakers than our back 4.

Granted Harper isn't an ideal fit in a Left-Right safety system and Jenkins looks great one week and horrible the next, but their deficiencies pale in comparison to our front seven talent.

I'd place RDE, DT, WLB, SLB and a 3rd CB as primary needs before either of our safties.

One superstar type guy on defense is what we need. For instance the look at Packers Clay Mathews and how he elevates that defense that is not that great, yet he makes up for a lot of the deficiencies with his play around the line. It's similar to the first two years with Vilma that the defense played well or how the first year with Sharper seemed to raise the level of players around him.

I almost would trade our second round pick to move up and get a superstar guy like Jones. They are estimating Mathieu to go in 3rd or 4th round, but would it be reckless to use a second pick on him? He doesn't have huge size, but Falcons Grimes proves that doesn't matter and Mathieu has that star potential.

 

[whosyadaddy]

One superstar type guy on defense is what we need. For instance the look at Packers Clay Mathews and how he elevates that defense that is not that great, yet he makes up for a lot of the deficiencies with his play around the line. It's similar to the first two years with Vilma that the defense played well or how the first year with Sharper seemed to raise the level of players around him.

I almost would trade our second round pick to move up and get a superstar guy like Jones. They are estimating Mathieu to go in 3rd or 4th round, but would it be reckless to use a second pick on him? He doesn't have huge size, but Falcons Grimes proves that doesn't matter and Mathieu has that star potential.

We don't have a 2nd round pick

 

[whosyadaddy]

Does anyone know what the cap hit will be if we cut W Smith?

 

[Brees Lee]

Jenkins needs to be moved to CB - Harper needs to take a huge paycut

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/11/30/refo-saints-falcons-week-13/

I knew it was bad.. just not that bad

I know Jenkins and Harper are terrible shoulder tacklers and are clearly under performing, but aside from the first Quarter, they didnt look that bad. And Harper barely played the rest of the game. PFF seems biased and full of **** sometimes.

 

[Brees Lee]

One superstar type guy on defense is what we need. For instance the look at Packers Clay Mathews and how he elevates that defense that is not that great, yet he makes up for a lot of the deficiencies with his play around the line. It's similar to the first two years with Vilma that the defense played well or how the first year with Sharper seemed to raise the level of players around him.

I almost would trade our second round pick to move up and get a superstar guy like Jones. They are estimating Mathieu to go in 3rd or 4th round, but would it be reckless to use a second pick on him? He doesn't have huge size, but Falcons Grimes proves that doesn't matter and Mathieu has that star potential.

We might have one in Hicks or Jordan. It is hard to get a superstar on D, of you dont draft one. We have a highest paid player of the league at QB, our superstar TE will get his share, one of the highest paid G in the league, all on Offense.

 

[bclemms]

Looks like PFF is a couple months late to the common sense party. Everyone sees it except Spags, kind of disappointing with his pass rusher resume.
http://saintsreport.com/forums/f2/will-smith-257371/

 

[Symbiote]

Number 1. Tacking
Number 2. Missed Tackles
Number 3. Blown Coverage

 

[BigSaintsFAN9]

We don't have a 2nd round pick

Goodell said specifically if Payton and Saints cooperated it would be returned! Everything I have seen and heard so far show they are doing just that, from Benson meeting with Goodell to Payton waiting for permission to finalize contract. Therefore, I assume we will get our 2nd rd pick back..