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Post by alum on Feb 22, 2022 22:36:46 GMT -5
How much footwork/agility work do they do along with lifting?
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Post by hcpride on Feb 23, 2022 1:51:45 GMT -5
Quickness/agility/explosiveness at the RB position was a concern for me this past year - I think we were a bit exposed at that position during the playoffs. (Combining the games v SHU and Nova shows a total of about 80 net yards rushing from the RB position)
FWIW my other concern this past year was starting QB passing skills.
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Post by football44 on Feb 23, 2022 5:47:46 GMT -5
Quickness/agility/explosiveness at the RB position was a concern for me this past year - I think we were a bit exposed at that position during the playoffs. (Combining the games v SHU and Nova shows a total of about 80 net yards rushing from the RB position) FWIW my other concern this past year was starting QB passing skills. Totally agree on both of your concerns. I’m very excited about the addition of Sam Slade the running back from St. Peter’s in Jersey. Check out his hudl tape. You’ll see what I’m talking about. We don’t have a back like him on the roster. I’ve been told that the new QB Coach has watched tape on Sluka and sees things that need to be worked on. All good. The ship is heading in the right direction.
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Post by hc4life on Feb 23, 2022 8:21:42 GMT -5
Which comment would he find laughable? The one where I said the interior D-line is a key to stopping the opponents run? I'm glad you have a great relationship with either Liam or Jacob as I do as well. I also have one with Jason Modak who is a great person beyond the excellent football player he is. My comment you said was laughable when I suggested that Dobbs and Anderson wouldn’t have put up the kind of jaw dropping production stats in 2021 without the stellar play of Modak and Cedeno (plus BW, Kuz and Reichwein) Jake had damn near 20 TFLs. Liam had 15. A plurality of both of their total tackles were 1-3 yds past the line of scrimmage vs 4-6 yards. You really believe both those guys think they have those type of seasons without the domination at the point of attack from their front 3 or 4. Modak was taking up double teams all season at NG. Hopefully this conversation is moot and at least a couple of the 4 underclassman DTs step up in a big way. If not, Boobie will have to come in college ready Day 1. The only way this defense isn’t again a National Top 5 D across most categories is if we can’t reload the interior of our D line. We graduated our Top 3 and the #4 is coming off serious shoulder surgery. More to come…and yes all on the same team here. My point is you attributed Dobbs and Anderson's success to the D-Line by saying "they would not nearly have the same stats". I disagree in terms of the overall impact. Absolutely the D-Line is key and they are good players but we disagree on the overall impact. Dobbs is a generational player for Holy Cross. Started all 30 games since he arrived 271 Tackles, 33 TFL's and 16.5 Sacks. I personally think those stats are more a reflection of his talent, speed and intelligence. That's my personal opinion. That is not to suggest the contributions of others aren't important I just disagree with your point on the significance. We run 3 down for a reason, our LB's are more impactful than our DL.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Feb 23, 2022 8:41:56 GMT -5
FWIW, since the intention of this thread was to be more focused on upcoming spring practice, I'm not including most incoming freshman in the position group breakdowns except for rare circumstances. We can focus on them a bit more once they arrive on campus this summer and especially in fall camp.
With the talent we have returning, I count maybe 1-4 frosh that could see meaningful action this season. There were only 3 last year that got snaps not either on ST's or mop up time (Fuller, Petersen and Shorter - but not till Gilliam was injured). From what I see, I think there's maybe ~4 incoming frosh that could show up on the 2-deep coming out of camp (again barring injuries).
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Post by midwestsader05 on Feb 23, 2022 9:10:41 GMT -5
How much footwork/agility work do they do along with lifting? A lot! Endurance conditioning, speed, explosiveness, core strength, flexibility and recovery. All of which take place in other venues in addition to the weight room.
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Post by newadvisor on Feb 23, 2022 9:30:54 GMT -5
Getting back to the Rb and TE group. Last year we were a much better 12 personnel team. MIDWEST is on to something with the play action game. We didn’t exploit the middle of the the field making it More difficult to get the 1on1 matchups on the outside. With Matt running more designed power runs a scat back would be a great addition to the RB room (Slade). The group coming back should be better than last baring any serious injuries. The TE room is pretty thin even though they picked up 2. Those guys will have to get up to speed quickly. Should be interesting to see witch of those 2 grab the 3 spot.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Feb 23, 2022 10:28:13 GMT -5
Getting back to the Rb and TE group. Last year we were a much better 12 personnel team. MIDWEST is on to something with the play action game. We didn’t exploit the middle of the the field making it More difficult to get the 1on1 matchups on the outside. With Matt running more designed power runs a scat back would be a great addition to the RB room (Slade). The group coming back should be better than last baring any serious injuries. The TE room is pretty thin even though they picked up 2. Those guys will have to get up to speed quickly. Should be interesting to see witch of those 2 grab the 3 spot. I had this thought as well but didn't mention it for a rare attempt at brevity. Since we graduated our #3 TE Honohan who did see action in a few series each game, it's quite possible a 3rd TE gets some burn (although the difference in your #3 TE being a Senior vs a Freshman could matter here) I've watched both Bousum and Schillinger on film and they have fairly complimentary skill sets. Bousum (6'3 ~230-235) is a better all around athlete that can stretch the field and make all the catches. He's also a great basketball player which many coaches love in their TEs. Schillinger is bigger (6'4 ~245-250) and a powerful blocker. You could see him being a great short yardage/goal line additional blocker especially after a couple years with Coach G.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Feb 25, 2022 13:47:48 GMT -5
Next up: The Slideouts - Wide Receivers:
Highlights: We return 3 of our top 4 most productive receivers from last year. And while we lose a good one in Tenio, we get 3 year starter Spencer Gilliam back from an early season ending injury.
A Few Questions: 1) Does Spencer come back at or near 100%? 2) With the exception of Jalen, our 3 other receivers (Ayir, Gilliam & Shorter) are smaller, speedier types. With Tenio's graduation, who emerges as another bigger body possession type receiver? 3) Is this the year where it all comes together for Ayir and he improves upon his % of dropped passes? We've seen glimpses of his full potential (Lafayette last season) and he is a game changer when at that level. 4) Is a Dominik Thomas comeback in the cards for 2022?
My take: I have no first hand knowledge of Spencer's recovery and if he will be practicing this spring. He's a a great inside slot receiver with sure hands, quickness and a knack for getting open. I do think our top 4 WR's (Jalen, Ayir, Spencer and Shorter) again see ~90% of the WR targets this season. If there is another receiver likely to get increased PT with Tenio's graduation, the odds on favorite today would be Bryon Shipman. I think both Jalen and Ayir are FBS caliber talents and do think Ayir shows more consistency this year (a lot of which still depends on Sluka's progression as we've discussed.) The wild card here is Dominik Thomas. DT first was injured midway through his freshman season in 2019 after showing glimpses of being a different caliber WR. I vividly remember him running past a couple Syracuse DB's while getting open thinking "damn this kid could be good." Anytime a player misses two consecutive seasons (although really 1.5 due to Covid), it's not a great prognosis for a return to form. However, several of us know he is NOT on the career IR and will attempt to return this season.
Summary: We've got some serious play and difference makers at WR. We need to get them the ball and watch em' do what they can do!
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Feb 25, 2022 15:06:40 GMT -5
Spencer Gilliam has been my avatar (before him I had Patrick Benzan who graduated) since his freshman year--just liked the way he played, e.g. returning two blocked punts for touchdowns that frosh year. He's a good receiver as midwestsader notes and I'm anxious to see how he plays upon his return to action. "Jump Ball" Jalen had a great season in 2021 and we recall that AA broke all the freshman receiving records a few years back. Lots of talent at this position
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Post by dharry13 on Feb 25, 2022 15:10:43 GMT -5
This is a very deep room, HC just added two more to this room with Youngblood and Brunelle and based on his tape - Youngblood is a very tough kid who has a knack to get open.
I agree on Thomas in a big way. If he can stay healthy he makes another big option in terms of just his his sheer size. He was on the two deep early in his freshman year. Hopefully he finds that form this summer after a full year off.
A couple of other players on my radar are Bryce Barron and Quinton Gregory. I haven't heard much on Barron, but I have heard Gregory is very explosive. Again - we've talked about this with the RB's and particularly Slade - explosion is needed and big play ability is needed the deeper you get into playoffs and to play against teams that put points up.
There is zero reason HC can't have a number of 50 reception receivers on this team - provided we are 50/50 each game with passing/running. The talent is there, the depth is there with hopefully Shipman, Gregory, Youngblood, Thomas as your next 4. That room is loaded - more need to take the next step in production.
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Post by hc2020 on Feb 25, 2022 15:52:01 GMT -5
Coincidentally, here is a Tweet of the WR room:
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Post by efg72 on Feb 25, 2022 16:39:14 GMT -5
With our receivers, I have been thinking how much more potent the offense might be if we were a throw-first team. With all of the WR options, we put the ball in the hands of people that can make plays and do some good things YAC, and I believe make our run game very tough to contain especially with Sluka.
but i defer to those with more knowledge about offense
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Post by midwestsader05 on Mar 2, 2022 10:13:49 GMT -5
It's winter test week. Guys are maxing out on the 3 core lifts and I'm sure lots of new personal bests being set. Less than 2 weeks till the start of spring ball! Let's talk about the big boys on the O-line:
Highlights: We return 4 of our 5 starting Offensive Lineman with the only graduating departure being All-PL Guard John Brekke who we all wish well in his grad transfer year at Miami OH. The core of this group has now played together 1.5 seasons and should be even better next season. The only really interesting thing to watch will be who steps up as the top reserves since Coach Smith is known to rotate Offensive lineman more often than most. Let's break it down by position:
Tackle: Our starting left Tackle Jr. Luke Newman was 1st team All PL as a Sophomore. Simply, the kid is special. I've been told my multiple primary sources that even with 2-3 years remaining, he's the top NFL prospect on the team. Team members that battled against both he and Brian Foley have told me that Luke (as a Soph) was better than Foley as a Senior. He possesses great feet, overall athleticism, upper body strength and plays with an aggressive edge. At RT we return 2nd team All PL Sr. Pat McMurtrie. Pat first started at RT in the spring of 2021 and is also a good athlete with size and length. The one thing I would like to see him improve upon is his tendency to lean (get out over his skis) when pass blocking against quick/explosive defensive ends. This was noticeable in the SHU game. The biggest question at tackle is the return of 5th year Senior Grady Smith. If Grady is healthy, he will likely be the top reserve as he has played both Left and Right tackle. He would start on almost every other PL team. Cam McNair ended last season as Newman's back-up and should make a huge jump between his freshman and sophomore years. He has tremendous size but also needs to work on his pass blocking from the limited action I saw. The final reserve to see some playing time toward the end of last year was Declan McCauley when McMurtie battled some mid game injuries. With the return of Grady Smith, might the coaches move Declan to the interior O-line to provide some needed depth?
Guard: At RG we return starting Sr. CJ Hanson. Like Newman and McMutrie, CJ is another good overall athlete with size/length (at 6'5-6'6; you're seeing a theme in the type of O-lineman this staff recruits). What I like about CJ is he plays with a high motor. He should be an All PL selection this year. The likely replacement to Brekke at LG is Jr. Eric Schon. Schon was the top reserve at guard last season and had lots of playing time including as a freshman in Spring 2021. He's built more like a guard relative to our other lineman and has lots of potential. The only reserve on the two-deep returning with any real PT will be Sr. Dalton Daddona. Dalton was banged up at the end of last season but if healthy should fit right back in as the top reserve. That leaves one spot open on the two-deep and it seems pretty wide open for someone to step up. If no one on the current roster does, I would not be surprised if incoming freshman Sam Metzger gets his shot fairly quickly.
Center: We welcome back two 5th year Seniors in starter Nick Olsofka and his back-up Jack McCauley. Nick was 2nd team all PL in Spring 2021 and voted Captain coming into last fall. He's played a ton since his Freshman year and Coach Smith had big expectations for him coming into last season. Unfortunately, he battled a mid season injury and then missed the final ~4 games of the season. If he can remain healthy and return to form, he will be another All PL selection. Jack McCauley did a very admirable job replacing Nick (notably in the Fordham game) and battled well against our two playoff opponents. It's great to have 2 centers returning but some of us were a bit surprised the coaching staff extended two 5th year opportunities to the same position. Was it an indication that outside of Nick and Jack, no other player on the roster is ready to play? This will be an more of an issue in 2023 with an entirely new 2-deep at Center but an interesting development to observe this season.
Brass tacks: We have the nucleus and talent on the O-line to provide time for Sluka to develop more consistent passing skills while still opening holes for our deep RB core.
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Post by dharry13 on Mar 2, 2022 10:24:36 GMT -5
I agree midwest - this is a deep group with lots of playing time. I like how Smith rotates 10-11 OL because it bodes well later in the year when injuries crop up. OL is by far the most difficult position to come in as a true Frosh and play - due mostly to physical strength and maturity. McNair being on two deep last year speaks volumes and hopefully he's ready to take a big step forward as he's a big dude.
I think you're spot on regarding the 2 deep described above. Biggest questions for me - will Grady Smith be 100% healthy?
Will any of the remaining OL on the roster from last year - Kelly, Milberg, Pacific, Blessing, Cachon - make a jump and get on people's radar? If not will anyone of them possibly get kicked to the DL who played there in High School? Pacific as an example.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 2, 2022 10:41:57 GMT -5
Great reviews and great to hear how strong our o-line looks--makes every position on the offense that much more productive.
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Post by hc2020 on Mar 2, 2022 12:22:06 GMT -5
I agree midwest - this is a deep group with lots of playing time. I like how Smith rotates 10-11 OL because it bodes well later in the year when injuries crop up. OL is by far the most difficult position to come in as a true Frosh and play - due mostly to physical strength and maturity. McNair being on two deep last year speaks volumes and hopefully he's ready to take a big step forward as he's a big dude. I think you're spot on regarding the 2 deep described above. Biggest questions for me - will Grady Smith be 100% healthy? Will any of the remaining OL on the roster from last year - Kelly, Milberg, Pacific, Blessing, Cachon - make a jump and get on people's radar? If not will anyone of them possibly get kicked to the DL who played there in High School? Pacific as an example. Christo Kelly was a 5 star long-snapper coming out of HS so I see him taking over that role at some point, and perhaps being the heir apparent at center once our 5th years both move on after this season.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 2, 2022 14:32:07 GMT -5
Barron had re-tweeted this tweet from Coker at The Jo. Don't think this was attempted at the old field house. The Jo already paying dividends!!\ And 6,500 views in two days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by hc2020 on Mar 4, 2022 10:33:37 GMT -5
Hearing some crazy numbers from the off-season conditioning program. Coach Grautski is doing an incredible job with the team in the weight room.
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Mar 4, 2022 10:39:40 GMT -5
You can understand why strength and conditioning coaches are sometimes the highest paid guys on a coaching staff. It always seems like we are better conditioned and stronger than our opponents in the second half of games.
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Post by football44 on Mar 5, 2022 7:11:29 GMT -5
Speaking of throwing and velocity. Check out the tape on Mark Forcucci incoming QB from Chicago. The kid can really wing it.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Mar 5, 2022 13:53:11 GMT -5
Let's take the weekend to think about what I believe is the biggest question mark for this team heading into 2022: The Defensive Line
Highlights: We lose 2 of our 3 starters from last season in three year starters and 1st team All PL selections DE Benton Whitley & NG Jason Modak. We also graduate our top interior DL reserve in Matt Cedeno who IMO did a great job stepping up after DT Noah Johnson suffered a season ending injury in the Yale game. It was the following week vs Monmouth where Coach James decided to move to a base 3-3-5 (from a 4-2-5) defense due to the lack of depth on the D-line but also to get more snaps for LB Liam Doran (Coach Chesney believes you find ways to get your best 11 players on the field at the same time). The only returning starter is 1st team All PL DE Dan Kuznetsov while DE Jake Reichwein looks to replace BW as the other starting DE after a very productive 1.5 seasons in 2021 as the top reserve D-End. "Hc4life" and I had a back and forth about this earlier in the thread and again I submit if we can't reload these losses with at least 3 "new" D-lineman to fill these roles, we will be nothing close to the Top Rushing (fewest rushing yds allowed per game) FCS defense in the nation much less the Top Total (fewest total yards allowed) FCS defense as we were both last season. We have 2 of the best LB's to play at HC in a generation in Dobbs and Anderson with Doran being a very solid 3rd but ask yourself this question..."Would Dobbs and LA have had the type of record setting seasons (and our Defense in general) if we had something more equivalent to Lehigh or Lafayette's D-Line? (Jake and Liam A. would be first to tell you "HELL NO"). We had 3 OF THE 4 1st team All PL D-lineman selections last season! If you aggregate the stats of those three (BW, Modak and Kuz), I would almost guarantee they would be the least productive on paper (TFLs, sacks, PBU's etc.) of 3 1st team PL selections maybe ever. They were awarded by other teams/coaches in voting because on film and in games they did exactly what you ask of your 3 down lineman in a 3-3 front...Dominate at the point of attack and free up your LB's to make plays. Needless to say there are several important questions heading into next season, here are a few:
1) Who replaces Modak and Cedeno as our top 2 Interior D-lineman? 2) Who steps up as the 3rd D-End in the rotation?
For question 1: The most likely replacements on the current roster for Modak at NG are Soph's Joshua Williams and Damon Danolds. Both have the size/frame for an ideal NG. Williams was the more highly touted recruit out of HS but I think it's a wide open competition. For Cedeno's replacement as the more traditional "3 technique" DT, Junior Jared Dyer would be the likely returning favorite. He saw modest PT last season before suffering a season ending shoulder injury. Does he come into fall camp close to 100%? The other is Junior Dillon Springer and while I've heard he plays with a great motor/energy, I'm not sure with his frame (6'1-6'2 ~260) he's an every down D-tackle but could be a quality contributor. If the players listed above don't make that needed big jump, the wild card is the incoming freshman "Boobie" Santiago. After watching most of our incoming frosh on tape, I personally think Boobie is the freshman likely to see the most snaps in 2022 (along with maybe Avery Powell)
For question 2: Three year starter and 2-time All PL selection Dan Kuznetsov returns to lead the Defensive Ends as a 5th year Senior. Kuz is stout at the point of attack against the run and very weight room strong for his ~6'3 250 frame. What he might lack in edge speed and bend he makes up for with a strong "bull rush and rip" as his signature pass rush move. After steadily improving throughout his career, 5th year Senior Jake Reichwein looks to get his final season as the starter at the other D-end spot. I'm a big fan of this kid as he's just had a "lunch pale" work ethic his entire career, both in practice and the weight room. He's been very productive as a reserve and now likely gets his shot in the starting rotation. Junior Brian Vaganek is the favorite entering spring ball as the next man up in the rotation after seeing limited snaps last year on the 2-deep but 4th D-end. Rumor is he has potential to be a good contributor off the bench like Reichwein did in 2021. The wild card at D-end is the potential return of Senior Thomas Kiessling who hasn't played since a very impressive freshman campaign in 2019. If he could get back to even 90% of the freshman talent I watched against Navy and Syracuse, he's getting burn at D-end. However, being out this long is a major uphill climb for anyone. If TK is a no go...that leaves 1 open spot on the 2-deep and I expect incoming freshman Christian Ross and Osahon Noruwa to compete for it. After watching both closely on tape, I think Ross comes in more college ready from Day 1 but Osahon has a higher ceiling long-term. I'm excited to watch both develop especially after an offseason with Goach Grautski.
Summary: In addition to Sluka's development as a passer, this group with be the defining difference in another PL title/playoff run or a season that fell short. After watching the anchoring bias of many posters on here (especially when I check out the Men's basketball section for a laugh), I could very well envision a lot of "this isn't the same D as last year" type posts on here by the Buffalo/Yale games if not the Merrimack game. I'm not necessarily bearish on this group but do think most casual observers don't appreciate what we lost on the D-line after last season. It will be up to the coaching staff and other experienced players/leaders returning on defense to demand this group perform at the highest level of whatever their potential might be.
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Post by dharry13 on Mar 5, 2022 14:29:07 GMT -5
Thanks Midwest. I agree with all of the above. I’m hopeful Santiago comes in and plays early and hopefully Dyer comes back fully healthy. Williams needs to live up to his potential and solidify a role in the DL mix as well. Maybe Gillis gets a chance as well.
Personally I think in order to advance further in the playoffs you have to get sack production off the edge. It allows to drop 7 into coverage and takes pressure off the DBs. I’d like to see a DE with close to double digit sacks - not the 4/5 we’ve seen the last few years. The guy I see on film with the best way to be that guy is Noruwa. We will see how fast he develops.
Kiessling is a big wild card. If he’s close to healthy you have a legit 4 man rotation with Nowura and Ross as 5/6.
DT little different regarding returning snaps. The guys who want it the most have a massive opportunity in front of them.
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Post by breezy on Mar 5, 2022 14:39:50 GMT -5
I agree that the production of the DL will be a crucial part of achieving success in the 2022 season.
I'm interested to see [1] whether Kiessling can return to form and be productive, and [2] which of the interior DLs mentioned (Dyer, Springer, Williams, Donalds, Santiago) will stand out.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Mar 6, 2022 17:31:06 GMT -5
Thanks Midwest. I agree with all of the above. I’m hopeful Santiago comes in and plays early and hopefully Dyer comes back fully healthy. Williams needs to live up to his potential and solidify a role in the DL mix as well. Personally I think in order to advance further in the playoffs you have to get sack production off the edge. It allows to drop 7 into coverage and takes pressure off the DBs. I’d like to see a DE with close to double digit sacks - not the 4/5 we’ve seen the last few years. The guy I see on film with the best way to be that guy is Noruwa. We will see how fast he develops. Kiessling is a big wild card. If he’s close to healthy you have a legit 4 man rotation with Nowura and Ross as 5/6. DT little different regarding returning snaps. The guys who want it the most have a massive opportunity in front of them. Harry, I hear you on more sacks/QBH's from a D-End but picking nits to expand on this. In a lot of our 4 man pressures on passing downs, Liam Anderson lines up as a stand up "Edge" on the line of scrimmage. Several of his sacks and TFL's came last season when he just straight up beat the OT off the edge or came on an inside move/twist with the down D-End. I guess I don't care as much who gets the sack as long as we are getting pressure with only a 4 man rush and able to drop 7 into coverage. I agree what would be nice to see this year is the D-End lining up opposite Anderson in this front/package getting more production since the RB/HB staying in the pocket to block is going to be increasingly assigned to chip Anderson to help the OT on his side. Also, it would be a major benefit to allow Anderson to drop into coverage more often given his DB roots. He's shown the ability to make INTs with his athleticism and skill set in pass coverage. We typically rotate Doran out on passing downs and if a D-End can emerge as a dude off the edge, you could envision a scenario where Dobbs and Anderson are the two LB's in coverage and we have 4 true down lineman off the ball. Thomas Kiessling was supposed to be that guy. Can he get back? Otherwise, Vaganek and Noruwa have the body type to be that edge pass rush specialist given their frames and length at 6'4/6'5 240-250 lbs. That's typically the build you see in that type of player. Time will tell if any of those emerge as that presence that we haven't had.
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