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We can use this thread to post news, stats, and highlights in 2015 featuring our defensive stars.
The Best of the Best-
JJ Watt – The best defensive player in the NFL, and one of the league’s top five overall players. Watt is the centerpiece of the Texans’ 3-4 defense, who along with Brian Cushing, creates the best front 7 in football. DE/HOU
Luke Kuechly – The best inside linebacker in the game, and top 5 defender league wide. Kuechly is the captain, signal caller, and top playmaker on Carolina’s D. MLB/CAR
Eric Weddle – The best safety in the league and top 5 defender league wide. This is likely Weddle’s last season in San Diego, so look for him to lay it on thick. FS/SD
Kyle Williams – One of the top interior defensive linemen in the league. Williams is the catalyst of the Bills’ run defense and interior pass rush. Typically overshadowed by lesser players, look for Williams to yet again, be at the top of the charts in sacks and tackles among d-lineman. DT/BUF
Clay Matthews – One of the league’s premier pass rushers will slide inside on running downs, and rush off the edge on passing downs. 2015 could potentially be his most productive NFL season. OLB/GB
Harrison Smith – The league’s 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] best safety is now the unquestioned leader of the Viking defense. In three seasons, the ball hawking safety has already notched 250 tackles, 4 sacks, and 10 interceptions. FS/MIN
Ryan Kerrigan – Rewarded with a multimillion dollar contract extension this offseason, Kerrigan is by far the best player on the Redskin roster. Look for him to be among the league’s leading defenders in 2015. OLB/WSH
Connor Barwin – 2014 showed he is one of the best OLBs in the league. Along with a stellar contribution against the run, Barwin’s career high 14.5 sacks last season, managed to receive no publicity, despite playing in one of the nation’s largest markets. Expect double digit sacks out of the Eagles’ best defender. OLB/PHI
Paul Kruger – Much like Connor Barwin, Kruger is an extremely active defender, who makes the Brown defense go. Look for double digit sacks from the relentless pass rusher. OLB/CLE
Jared Allen – After a down year, the future hall of fame defensive end will move to rush linebacker. Look for Allen’s sack numbers to be back on par (among league leaders) in 2015. Over his career, the 33 year old has notched 134 sacks, 31 forced fumbles, and 19 fumble recoveries. OLB/CHI
Rob Ninkovich – While he doesn’t receive the press, Ninkovich has quietly been the most productive Patriot defender over the last four seasons racking up 300 tackles, 30 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and 3 interceptions during that span. Look for Chandler Jones to be talked up as the Patriots’ leading pass rusher, as Ninkovich once again outperforms him. DE/NE
Solid Starters-
James Laurinaitis – Captain, signal caller, and leader of the Ram defense, Laurinaitis steers one of the league’s better front sevens. MLB/STL
Chad Greenway – One of the league’s most productive linebackers returns for his 10[SUP]th[/SUP] season as the Vikings starter on the weakside. OLB/MIN
AJ Hawk – After practically being run out of Green Bay, the Packers’ all-time leading tackler returns home to Ohio to man the Bengals weakside linebacker spot. Hawk, one of the most productive linebackers in the league over the last decade brings his 900 tackles, 19 sacks, and 9 interceptions to Cincinnati. OLB/CIN
Paul Warrilow – The former undrafted free agent has become the Falcons’ defensive captain and that unit’s most valuable player. MLB/ATL
Brooks Reed – The versatile outside linebacker heads to Atlanta to bring some stability to the defense. Reed will start on the strongside, and figures to be used as an edge rusher. OLB/ATL
Jared Crick – Has become a nice compliment to JJ Watt. Crick has established himself as a very solid run defender, and should have plenty sack opportunities in 2015. DE/HOU
Sean Lissmore – Entering his 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] season as the Chargers’ starting nose tackle, Lissmore is hoping to find the QB more often in 2015. DT/SD
Comeback Players-
Brian Cushing – Had become one of the better inside linebackers in the league until injuries in 2012 and 2013 set back the former defensive rookie of the year. Finally at full health, the six year veteran is primed for a big season. Cushing will be the signal caller in the middle of the Texans 3-4 defense. ILB/HOU
Sean Lee – could be one of the best linebackers in the league, however injuries have kept him off the field for much of his career thus far. Lee must stay healthy in 2015 and show the world just how talented he is. OLB/DAL
Kiko Alonso – After a dominant rookie season with the Bills, where he was named defensive rookie of the year in 2013, Alonso sat out the entire 2014 season with injury. This offseason, he was traded to the Eagles where he joins Connor Barwin, creating one of the better one two punches at linebacker. ILB/PHI
Paul Posluszny – Without question, the Jaguars’ best defensive player, Poz missed much of 2014 with an injury, and is primed for a big year in 2015. A legitimate playmaker at LB, in the last four seasons in Jacksonville, Poz has racked up nearly 500 tackles, 9 sacks and 7 interceptions. MLB/JAX
Chris Long – After seven seasons, Long has notched 51.5 sacks, making him one of the more productive 4-3 defensive ends in the league. Last year was basically a throw-away season, as he fought nagging injuries for much of the year. Look for Long to bounce back in 2015. DE/STL
The Newcomers-
Dan Skuta – Long time backup finally gets his opportunity as he will join Paul Posluszny on the Jacksonville defense. OLB/JAX
Andrew Gachkar – After four seasons in San Diego as an on and off starter, Gachkar will be the week 1 signal caller in the middle of the Dallas defense. With career criminal Rolando McClain suspended, Gach will have four weeks to make his time in the starting lineup permanent. He will have to be on the top of his game to silence clamoring for McClain, who by most accounts is a despicable person and not to mention a very average player, but for whatever reason, is loved by fans and media. MLB/DAL
Scott Solomon – Finally after three seasons, draft bust Barkevious Mingo takes a seat. Solomon, a long overlooked journeyman who has been on four teams in three years, appears to have found a home in Cleveland’s 3-4 defense opposite Paul Kruger. OLB/CLE
Mike Mohamed – Will start alongside Brian Cushing in the middle of the Texans’ D. This will be Mohamed’s first season as a starter and will have to perform at a high level, as he will likely be the fans’ first target if things go south. ILB/HOU
Endangered Species-
Shea McCellan - This is his 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] position switch in as many seasons, now set to start at ILB for the Bears. He will have to play extremely well or risk becoming a career backup. It’s extremely rare for one of our guys to get this many chances, so he better take it to the bank. ILB/CHI
Derek Wolfe - His claim to fame is his ability to stop the run. At 6’5 290 pounds expect Wolfe to continue to be part of that starting unit. Unfortunately, run-stopping ability is something that the average moronic fan doesn’t notice. All they see are sack totals… (1.5). Making matters worse, he’ll miss the first four games of the season with a suspension. DE/DEN
Nick Hayden - Hayden has been a starter the last few seasons, but has only managed to register 2 career sacks. The Cowboys have been adding a lot of pieces to their d-line lately. Hayden will have to start making some plays if he wants to remain in the starting lineup. DT/DAL
Brian Robison - 4.5 sacks last season; that’s great if you’re Manny Lawson, or Brandon Graham, or Anthony Spencer, or Melvin Ingram, or Courtney Upshaw, or Jarvis Jones; you get my drift. But if you’re Brian Robison, you better look like getting your hands on the quarterback early and often in 2015. DE/MIN
Chris Conte – Sadly, it doesn’t matter how well he plays; it doesn’t matter how bad the rest of the defense performs; it doesn’t matter how bad the team is overall. Conte will be blamed for everything that goes wrong in Tampa Bay. For his sake he better come down with about 5-6 interceptions. FS/TB
Audie Cole – Has been named the week 1 starter, but will have to play his heart out to keep that spot. Fans and media have been drooling over 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] round draft pick Eric Kendricks, proclaiming him an all pro talent despite not having taken a NFL snap. Kendricks has made some plays in the preseason, but I don’t think he has proven to be a clear cut starter over Cole. However, if there is any slip up on defense, regardless of Cole’s performance, look for the fans to start clamoring for Kendricks. MLB/MIN
Kroy Biermann - The Falcons drafted pass rusher Vic Beasley early in the draft. You can be sure they will try to get him involved on defense, even at the expense of one of their best defenders over the last few years in Biermann. His saving grace is his athleticism, power, and versatility, which allows him to lineup almost anywhere in the front seven. DE/ATL
AJ Klein - Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis have both established themselves among the better LBs in the league, which means the selection of LB Shaq Thompson 25[SUP]th[/SUP] overall in the draft can’t be good news for Klein, who usually comes off the field on 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] down as it is. OLB/CAR
John Simon – will start at OLB for Houston, but will be looking over his shoulder as Jadeveon Clowney continues to heal from eternal injury. Clowney will likely be worked in slowly, but as soon as he actually does anything of note, Simon will be bumped to the bench. In either case, Simon will receive a nice chunk of snaps, and should have plenty of opportunities to make plays. OLB/HOU
Cooper Taylor – Taylor will finally get a chance to start at safety after being buried on the Giants’ depth chart for the last few years. Taylor will not only have to play at a high level, but also have to cover for rookie Landon Collins, who will undoubtedly struggle early on. We all know how this works, fortunately, the only real threat the Giants have on their roster to take the starting job away is newly signed Craig Dahl. SS/NYG
Challengers/Rotational players-
Andrew Sendejo – Sendejo thoroughly outplayed incumbent starter Robert Blanton last season in a limited role. Sendejo is a very good coverage safety, and even better against the run. Seemingly always in the way of all-pro Harrison Smith, Blanton is clearly a liability in the run game. Hopefully Sendejo can unseat Blanton at some point this year, because he certainly wasn’t given a fair opportunity to compete this offseason.
Karl Klug – Here’s Tennessee’s starting defensive line:
Will Compton – Washington appears yet again set on starting scrubs Perry Riley and Keenan Robinson at ILB despite Compton thoroughly out playing both. Even members of D.C.’s sports media are baffled by the ILB positioning. I give it a couple weeks and Compton will be in the lineup.
Jordan Kovacs – With Louis Delmas injured again, the door is open for Kovacs to possibly take the FS spot. Kovacs played mostly on special teams last year, but did get a handful of defensive snaps toward the end of the season due to injuries.
Mitch Unrein – seems to be in pretty good position to unseat Kendall Reyes at some point this season. Reyes was the weak link of the Charger defense last year, and if Unrein gets an opportunity, he should push for the starting job.
Bryan Braman – Braman will split time with Brandon Graham, who celebrated his most productive season in 2014 – 46 tackles, 5.5 sacks, somehow good enough for a $26 million contract extension. In anything close to a fair competition, Braman would have no trouble unseating Graham.
Josh Mauro – With Matt Shaunessy out of the picture, Mauro should be heavily involved in the DE/OLB rotation. I see an over the hill Corey Redding starting at DE; and I see Lamarr Woodley, who has gotten progressively worse every year since 2009 starting at OLB. Could Mauro take one of those spots?
Mark Herzlich –Four year veteran Mark Herzlich has shown promise in the few snaps he’s been awarded due to injured teammates, but has hardly been utilized properly. He has pretty much become the new Chase Blackburn, going into the season as a long shot to even make the team, then bails out the defense midway through the season after all the starters get injured, then, at season’s end, the Giants sign a few more LBs to ensure he remains buried on the depth chart the following season. Herzlich at some point will be inserted into the starting lineup as is usually the case. Personally though, I’d like to see him at defensive end, rushing the passer. At DE, the Giants are banking on 2009 draft bust Robert Ayers to suddenly begin playing like a 1[SUP]st[/SUP] round draft pick; after 6 seasons of below average play, my guess is that scenario is highly unlikely.
Kyle Emanuel – Drafted in the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] round, Emanuel has been very impressive in the preseason. At the moment, he is stuck behind under achiever Melvin Ingram, and some scrub Jeremiah Attachou. Emanuel could easily sneak into the starting lineup at some point this year.
Beau Allen – Allen will be heavily involved in the D-line rotation in Philly, and will likely outplay starting NT Bennie Logan.
Craig Dahl – Dahl looks to be the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] safety for the Giants. The starting positions belong to a pair of unknowns in Cooper Taylor and rookie Landon Collins. Taylor deserves his opportunity to start as he has been buried on the depth charts for the last few years, and I wish him all the best. Collins was a great college player, but the fact remains he’s still a rookie. Also going against him is the fact that you could count on one hand the number of highly touted SEC defenders who have come into the league and actually panned out. Reunited with Steve Spagnoulo, expect Dahl to be heavily involved in sub packages.
Bjoern Werner – As expected the free agent signing of Trent Cole will likely put Werner on the bench in 2015. He should remain involved in the OLB rotation until Robert Mathis returns, and then will have to ride out the last couple seasons of his rookie contract on the pine, and hopefully get a fresh start somewhere else.
Margus Hunt – High priced underachievers Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson will take the two starting positions at DE. Hunt will be in the line rotation, but will likely only start in the event of an injury.
Cassius Marsh – Finally someone to cheer for in Seattle. Marsh will not start, but should be a key piece of the d-line rotation, and from what I’ve seen looks to be a star in the making, in the mold of Paul Kruger, a relentless pass rusher who is seemingly involved in every play. The Seahawks will have no choice but to get him in the game.
Jeff Heath – How much longer will the Cowboys put up with the bumbling antics of safeties Barry Church and JJ Wilcox? Heath started most of his rookie season and played pretty well considering he came in as an undrafted free agent. Of course, like most safeties his type, he was blamed for everything that went wrong on defense. I’d like to see Heath get another shot, because like I say, he couldn’t be any worse than what they have in Church and Wilcox.
Cody Davis – Same situation as Jeff Heath; Why not give Davis a chance? You know what you have in TJ McDonald and Rodney McLeod; average to downright laughable play at safety.
Brandon Bair – Bair will be in the D-line rotation in Philly.
Chris Maragos – Undersized even by cornerback standards, Walter Thurmond has been moved to safety and will start alongside Malcolm Jenkins. Not only has Thurmond never played at safety before, but in a five year career, has only managed to appear in 36 games. I never wish injury on anyone, but I can almost guarantee Thurmond will not last long as a safety.
Davis Tull – At some point this season, Tull should crack the weak New Orleans defensive lineup. Rookies Tull and Hioli Kikaha are already clearly the Saints’ best pass rushers.
Colin Jones – Yet again, Jones will be used in a rotational capacity, playing nickel, and will play some safety, when starters Roman Harper or Tre Boston inevitably screw up so badly, coaches have no choice but to pull them.
Ben Heeney – Even though the Raiders are known for making stupid personnel decisions, I can’t imagine they will go the entire season with Ray Ray Armstrong in the starting lineup. Heeney was all over the field in preseason; the Raiders will have no choice but to get him involved on D at some point.
Frank Zombo – Zombo will back up Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, two of the better OLBs in football, so his chances of seeing the field are pretty slim, unless there is an injury.
The Best of the Best-
JJ Watt – The best defensive player in the NFL, and one of the league’s top five overall players. Watt is the centerpiece of the Texans’ 3-4 defense, who along with Brian Cushing, creates the best front 7 in football. DE/HOU
Luke Kuechly – The best inside linebacker in the game, and top 5 defender league wide. Kuechly is the captain, signal caller, and top playmaker on Carolina’s D. MLB/CAR
Eric Weddle – The best safety in the league and top 5 defender league wide. This is likely Weddle’s last season in San Diego, so look for him to lay it on thick. FS/SD
Kyle Williams – One of the top interior defensive linemen in the league. Williams is the catalyst of the Bills’ run defense and interior pass rush. Typically overshadowed by lesser players, look for Williams to yet again, be at the top of the charts in sacks and tackles among d-lineman. DT/BUF
Clay Matthews – One of the league’s premier pass rushers will slide inside on running downs, and rush off the edge on passing downs. 2015 could potentially be his most productive NFL season. OLB/GB
Harrison Smith – The league’s 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] best safety is now the unquestioned leader of the Viking defense. In three seasons, the ball hawking safety has already notched 250 tackles, 4 sacks, and 10 interceptions. FS/MIN
Ryan Kerrigan – Rewarded with a multimillion dollar contract extension this offseason, Kerrigan is by far the best player on the Redskin roster. Look for him to be among the league’s leading defenders in 2015. OLB/WSH
Connor Barwin – 2014 showed he is one of the best OLBs in the league. Along with a stellar contribution against the run, Barwin’s career high 14.5 sacks last season, managed to receive no publicity, despite playing in one of the nation’s largest markets. Expect double digit sacks out of the Eagles’ best defender. OLB/PHI
Paul Kruger – Much like Connor Barwin, Kruger is an extremely active defender, who makes the Brown defense go. Look for double digit sacks from the relentless pass rusher. OLB/CLE
Jared Allen – After a down year, the future hall of fame defensive end will move to rush linebacker. Look for Allen’s sack numbers to be back on par (among league leaders) in 2015. Over his career, the 33 year old has notched 134 sacks, 31 forced fumbles, and 19 fumble recoveries. OLB/CHI
Rob Ninkovich – While he doesn’t receive the press, Ninkovich has quietly been the most productive Patriot defender over the last four seasons racking up 300 tackles, 30 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and 3 interceptions during that span. Look for Chandler Jones to be talked up as the Patriots’ leading pass rusher, as Ninkovich once again outperforms him. DE/NE
Solid Starters-
James Laurinaitis – Captain, signal caller, and leader of the Ram defense, Laurinaitis steers one of the league’s better front sevens. MLB/STL
Chad Greenway – One of the league’s most productive linebackers returns for his 10[SUP]th[/SUP] season as the Vikings starter on the weakside. OLB/MIN
AJ Hawk – After practically being run out of Green Bay, the Packers’ all-time leading tackler returns home to Ohio to man the Bengals weakside linebacker spot. Hawk, one of the most productive linebackers in the league over the last decade brings his 900 tackles, 19 sacks, and 9 interceptions to Cincinnati. OLB/CIN
Paul Warrilow – The former undrafted free agent has become the Falcons’ defensive captain and that unit’s most valuable player. MLB/ATL
Brooks Reed – The versatile outside linebacker heads to Atlanta to bring some stability to the defense. Reed will start on the strongside, and figures to be used as an edge rusher. OLB/ATL
Jared Crick – Has become a nice compliment to JJ Watt. Crick has established himself as a very solid run defender, and should have plenty sack opportunities in 2015. DE/HOU
Sean Lissmore – Entering his 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] season as the Chargers’ starting nose tackle, Lissmore is hoping to find the QB more often in 2015. DT/SD
Comeback Players-
Brian Cushing – Had become one of the better inside linebackers in the league until injuries in 2012 and 2013 set back the former defensive rookie of the year. Finally at full health, the six year veteran is primed for a big season. Cushing will be the signal caller in the middle of the Texans 3-4 defense. ILB/HOU
Sean Lee – could be one of the best linebackers in the league, however injuries have kept him off the field for much of his career thus far. Lee must stay healthy in 2015 and show the world just how talented he is. OLB/DAL
Kiko Alonso – After a dominant rookie season with the Bills, where he was named defensive rookie of the year in 2013, Alonso sat out the entire 2014 season with injury. This offseason, he was traded to the Eagles where he joins Connor Barwin, creating one of the better one two punches at linebacker. ILB/PHI
Paul Posluszny – Without question, the Jaguars’ best defensive player, Poz missed much of 2014 with an injury, and is primed for a big year in 2015. A legitimate playmaker at LB, in the last four seasons in Jacksonville, Poz has racked up nearly 500 tackles, 9 sacks and 7 interceptions. MLB/JAX
Chris Long – After seven seasons, Long has notched 51.5 sacks, making him one of the more productive 4-3 defensive ends in the league. Last year was basically a throw-away season, as he fought nagging injuries for much of the year. Look for Long to bounce back in 2015. DE/STL
The Newcomers-
Dan Skuta – Long time backup finally gets his opportunity as he will join Paul Posluszny on the Jacksonville defense. OLB/JAX
Andrew Gachkar – After four seasons in San Diego as an on and off starter, Gachkar will be the week 1 signal caller in the middle of the Dallas defense. With career criminal Rolando McClain suspended, Gach will have four weeks to make his time in the starting lineup permanent. He will have to be on the top of his game to silence clamoring for McClain, who by most accounts is a despicable person and not to mention a very average player, but for whatever reason, is loved by fans and media. MLB/DAL
Scott Solomon – Finally after three seasons, draft bust Barkevious Mingo takes a seat. Solomon, a long overlooked journeyman who has been on four teams in three years, appears to have found a home in Cleveland’s 3-4 defense opposite Paul Kruger. OLB/CLE
Mike Mohamed – Will start alongside Brian Cushing in the middle of the Texans’ D. This will be Mohamed’s first season as a starter and will have to perform at a high level, as he will likely be the fans’ first target if things go south. ILB/HOU
Endangered Species-
Shea McCellan - This is his 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] position switch in as many seasons, now set to start at ILB for the Bears. He will have to play extremely well or risk becoming a career backup. It’s extremely rare for one of our guys to get this many chances, so he better take it to the bank. ILB/CHI
Derek Wolfe - His claim to fame is his ability to stop the run. At 6’5 290 pounds expect Wolfe to continue to be part of that starting unit. Unfortunately, run-stopping ability is something that the average moronic fan doesn’t notice. All they see are sack totals… (1.5). Making matters worse, he’ll miss the first four games of the season with a suspension. DE/DEN
Nick Hayden - Hayden has been a starter the last few seasons, but has only managed to register 2 career sacks. The Cowboys have been adding a lot of pieces to their d-line lately. Hayden will have to start making some plays if he wants to remain in the starting lineup. DT/DAL
Brian Robison - 4.5 sacks last season; that’s great if you’re Manny Lawson, or Brandon Graham, or Anthony Spencer, or Melvin Ingram, or Courtney Upshaw, or Jarvis Jones; you get my drift. But if you’re Brian Robison, you better look like getting your hands on the quarterback early and often in 2015. DE/MIN
Chris Conte – Sadly, it doesn’t matter how well he plays; it doesn’t matter how bad the rest of the defense performs; it doesn’t matter how bad the team is overall. Conte will be blamed for everything that goes wrong in Tampa Bay. For his sake he better come down with about 5-6 interceptions. FS/TB
Audie Cole – Has been named the week 1 starter, but will have to play his heart out to keep that spot. Fans and media have been drooling over 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] round draft pick Eric Kendricks, proclaiming him an all pro talent despite not having taken a NFL snap. Kendricks has made some plays in the preseason, but I don’t think he has proven to be a clear cut starter over Cole. However, if there is any slip up on defense, regardless of Cole’s performance, look for the fans to start clamoring for Kendricks. MLB/MIN
Kroy Biermann - The Falcons drafted pass rusher Vic Beasley early in the draft. You can be sure they will try to get him involved on defense, even at the expense of one of their best defenders over the last few years in Biermann. His saving grace is his athleticism, power, and versatility, which allows him to lineup almost anywhere in the front seven. DE/ATL
AJ Klein - Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis have both established themselves among the better LBs in the league, which means the selection of LB Shaq Thompson 25[SUP]th[/SUP] overall in the draft can’t be good news for Klein, who usually comes off the field on 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] down as it is. OLB/CAR
John Simon – will start at OLB for Houston, but will be looking over his shoulder as Jadeveon Clowney continues to heal from eternal injury. Clowney will likely be worked in slowly, but as soon as he actually does anything of note, Simon will be bumped to the bench. In either case, Simon will receive a nice chunk of snaps, and should have plenty of opportunities to make plays. OLB/HOU
Cooper Taylor – Taylor will finally get a chance to start at safety after being buried on the Giants’ depth chart for the last few years. Taylor will not only have to play at a high level, but also have to cover for rookie Landon Collins, who will undoubtedly struggle early on. We all know how this works, fortunately, the only real threat the Giants have on their roster to take the starting job away is newly signed Craig Dahl. SS/NYG
Challengers/Rotational players-
Andrew Sendejo – Sendejo thoroughly outplayed incumbent starter Robert Blanton last season in a limited role. Sendejo is a very good coverage safety, and even better against the run. Seemingly always in the way of all-pro Harrison Smith, Blanton is clearly a liability in the run game. Hopefully Sendejo can unseat Blanton at some point this year, because he certainly wasn’t given a fair opportunity to compete this offseason.
Karl Klug – Here’s Tennessee’s starting defensive line:
- Jurrell Casey – 4 years, 21 career sacks.
- Ropati Pitoitua – 5 years, 9 career sacks.
- Sammy Hill – 6 years, 7 sacks.
Will Compton – Washington appears yet again set on starting scrubs Perry Riley and Keenan Robinson at ILB despite Compton thoroughly out playing both. Even members of D.C.’s sports media are baffled by the ILB positioning. I give it a couple weeks and Compton will be in the lineup.
Jordan Kovacs – With Louis Delmas injured again, the door is open for Kovacs to possibly take the FS spot. Kovacs played mostly on special teams last year, but did get a handful of defensive snaps toward the end of the season due to injuries.
Mitch Unrein – seems to be in pretty good position to unseat Kendall Reyes at some point this season. Reyes was the weak link of the Charger defense last year, and if Unrein gets an opportunity, he should push for the starting job.
Bryan Braman – Braman will split time with Brandon Graham, who celebrated his most productive season in 2014 – 46 tackles, 5.5 sacks, somehow good enough for a $26 million contract extension. In anything close to a fair competition, Braman would have no trouble unseating Graham.
Josh Mauro – With Matt Shaunessy out of the picture, Mauro should be heavily involved in the DE/OLB rotation. I see an over the hill Corey Redding starting at DE; and I see Lamarr Woodley, who has gotten progressively worse every year since 2009 starting at OLB. Could Mauro take one of those spots?
Mark Herzlich –Four year veteran Mark Herzlich has shown promise in the few snaps he’s been awarded due to injured teammates, but has hardly been utilized properly. He has pretty much become the new Chase Blackburn, going into the season as a long shot to even make the team, then bails out the defense midway through the season after all the starters get injured, then, at season’s end, the Giants sign a few more LBs to ensure he remains buried on the depth chart the following season. Herzlich at some point will be inserted into the starting lineup as is usually the case. Personally though, I’d like to see him at defensive end, rushing the passer. At DE, the Giants are banking on 2009 draft bust Robert Ayers to suddenly begin playing like a 1[SUP]st[/SUP] round draft pick; after 6 seasons of below average play, my guess is that scenario is highly unlikely.
Kyle Emanuel – Drafted in the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] round, Emanuel has been very impressive in the preseason. At the moment, he is stuck behind under achiever Melvin Ingram, and some scrub Jeremiah Attachou. Emanuel could easily sneak into the starting lineup at some point this year.
Beau Allen – Allen will be heavily involved in the D-line rotation in Philly, and will likely outplay starting NT Bennie Logan.
Craig Dahl – Dahl looks to be the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] safety for the Giants. The starting positions belong to a pair of unknowns in Cooper Taylor and rookie Landon Collins. Taylor deserves his opportunity to start as he has been buried on the depth charts for the last few years, and I wish him all the best. Collins was a great college player, but the fact remains he’s still a rookie. Also going against him is the fact that you could count on one hand the number of highly touted SEC defenders who have come into the league and actually panned out. Reunited with Steve Spagnoulo, expect Dahl to be heavily involved in sub packages.
Bjoern Werner – As expected the free agent signing of Trent Cole will likely put Werner on the bench in 2015. He should remain involved in the OLB rotation until Robert Mathis returns, and then will have to ride out the last couple seasons of his rookie contract on the pine, and hopefully get a fresh start somewhere else.
Margus Hunt – High priced underachievers Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson will take the two starting positions at DE. Hunt will be in the line rotation, but will likely only start in the event of an injury.
Cassius Marsh – Finally someone to cheer for in Seattle. Marsh will not start, but should be a key piece of the d-line rotation, and from what I’ve seen looks to be a star in the making, in the mold of Paul Kruger, a relentless pass rusher who is seemingly involved in every play. The Seahawks will have no choice but to get him in the game.
Jeff Heath – How much longer will the Cowboys put up with the bumbling antics of safeties Barry Church and JJ Wilcox? Heath started most of his rookie season and played pretty well considering he came in as an undrafted free agent. Of course, like most safeties his type, he was blamed for everything that went wrong on defense. I’d like to see Heath get another shot, because like I say, he couldn’t be any worse than what they have in Church and Wilcox.
Cody Davis – Same situation as Jeff Heath; Why not give Davis a chance? You know what you have in TJ McDonald and Rodney McLeod; average to downright laughable play at safety.
Brandon Bair – Bair will be in the D-line rotation in Philly.
Chris Maragos – Undersized even by cornerback standards, Walter Thurmond has been moved to safety and will start alongside Malcolm Jenkins. Not only has Thurmond never played at safety before, but in a five year career, has only managed to appear in 36 games. I never wish injury on anyone, but I can almost guarantee Thurmond will not last long as a safety.
Davis Tull – At some point this season, Tull should crack the weak New Orleans defensive lineup. Rookies Tull and Hioli Kikaha are already clearly the Saints’ best pass rushers.
Colin Jones – Yet again, Jones will be used in a rotational capacity, playing nickel, and will play some safety, when starters Roman Harper or Tre Boston inevitably screw up so badly, coaches have no choice but to pull them.
Ben Heeney – Even though the Raiders are known for making stupid personnel decisions, I can’t imagine they will go the entire season with Ray Ray Armstrong in the starting lineup. Heeney was all over the field in preseason; the Raiders will have no choice but to get him involved on D at some point.
Frank Zombo – Zombo will back up Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, two of the better OLBs in football, so his chances of seeing the field are pretty slim, unless there is an injury.
