DTs and LBs big winners??

A defense is an organized unit.

Therefore, it follows that, when you're on a defensive unit, your job is to either...

1. Make a play that hinders the offense.

or...

2. Play in a way that makes it easier for guys around you to make plays to hinder the offense.

A quarterback drops back for a pass. He's got several receiving options. Let's just say, for the sake of this scenario, two WRs, one TE, one FB, and one RB on a block-and-release pattern that can be used as a checkdown. Most decent receivers are quick enough to get just enough space to catch the ball if you have to cover them for a long time. Of course, covering them is primarily the job of the corners and safeties. If you're a receiver who's got staying power at the NFL level, chances are you know ways to get open if you're matching up against one man in single coverage.

Some corners cover better than others. But even the best ones get beat if a quarterback is able to wait it out and someone gets open downfield.

Meanwhile, you've got DEs and DTs - possibly a linebacker or two if a blitz is called - that want to get to the quarterback. They either knock him on his back while he still has the ball in the pocket (for all of you non-football guys, that's known as a sack.)...or, they force him to throw it up with a body around or perhaps on him, resulting usually in a throw with lesser accuracy, making a slightly easier job for a coverage guy that wants to either swat the ball down or pick it off. That's the D-line making things easier for the defensive backs.

The D-line can also make things easier for blitzing linebackers. If they manage to occupy enough blockers, a linebacker could emerge with one man to beat or be completely unabated to the quarterback. From here, see the section on sacks.

Finally, players on the D-Line can make each other's jobs easier. Having a defensive end that's capable of taking over a game with his ability (see: Umenyiora, Osi; Allen, Jared; Williams, Mario) will cause offensive lines to either keep an extra TE on that side to block, taking him away as a receiving option - a big loss to an offense whose tight end is a huge threat in the receiving game (see: Cooley, Chris; Witten, Jason; Shockey, Jeremy; Gonzalez, Tony; Heap, Todd). Either that, or if they insist on running sets with less TEs and more receivers, they'll have to double team that particular man, giving every other guy on a 4-man defensive line a one-on-one matchup. A strong DT can create pressure up the middle much more easily just dealing with, say, a Center, rather than having to deal with a Center and an Offensive Guard.

So I say all this to say; there is no reason except for injury that Jason Taylor would not contribute. He's just too good of a player, even at his age (he's a couple of years younger, as well as healthier, than Philip Daniels, mind you). But the biggest contribution might be in the sense that he increases the effectiveness of players around him - like Montgomery, Griffin, Carter (as opposing O-lines will start shifting away from his side and toward that of Jason Taylor), as well as Marcus Washington.

I expect one, if not all of those guys to have improved seasons as a result of the intimidation factor that Jason Taylor brings. In terms of notoriety, he was almost like an AFC version of Michael Strahan. Even though he's not as young as he used to be, he still commands respect from opposing offenses. Coaches have to gameplan against him, which inevitably means shifting attention slightly away from guys that aren't really household names.

Agree or disagree?

Agree. I'd like to add that a DL that is very good makes the 7 other guys look much better. And ours just got pretty nasty.

Griffin has to be the happiest of all. No more double teams. He should have a monster year disrupting the backfield of any O that we play.

This is the beautiful thing about acquiring Taylor.

I love Andre Carter and he's a very good DE ,but Taylor is a very great one.

Jason Taylor is good to the point he makes the other guys around him better and more effective.

i can't wait

Just think, the last time Taylor was next to a good DE (Ogunleye), they both had monster double digit sack seasons. People said Ogunleye's success was due to Taylors, and looking at how his numbers have dropped a bit in Chicago while Taylor's have been high still, I'd say that's a fair assessment.

Griffin is already in the rotation, and Golston just has more bulk and more of a drive to play. Montgomery is of course our big boy up front now. Both him and Griffin/Golston are definitely happy now that teams have to game plan for BOTH of our DE's instead of knowing they can block Daniels 1 on 1.

Plus Chris Wilson also benefits greatly, as well as Marcus rushing from that OLB spot. I gotta say, I haven't been as excited about the 2008 season as I am now!

okok...so JT had 11 sack last year...does our D give him a better chance at doing better this year?...i mean he did have Thomas and Porter. did he make there job easer laster year?....Will LF, and MW have a good season if healthy

A defense is an organized unit.

Therefore, it follows that, when you're on a defensive unit, your job is to either...

1. Make a play that hinders the offense.

or...

2. Play in a way that makes it easier for guys around you to make plays to hinder the offense.

A quarterback drops back for a pass. He's got several receiving options. Let's just say, for the sake of this scenario, two WRs, one TE, one FB, and one RB on a block-and-release pattern that can be used as a checkdown. Most decent receivers are quick enough to get just enough space to catch the ball if you have to cover them for a long time. Of course, covering them is primarily the job of the corners and safeties. If you're a receiver who's got staying power at the NFL level, chances are you know ways to get open if you're matching up against one man in single coverage.

Some corners cover better than others. But even the best ones get beat if a quarterback is able to wait it out and someone gets open downfield.

Meanwhile, you've got DEs and DTs - possibly a linebacker or two if a blitz is called - that want to get to the quarterback. They either knock him on his back while he still has the ball in the pocket (for all of you non-football guys, that's known as a sack.)...or, they force him to throw it up with a body around or perhaps on him, resulting usually in a throw with lesser accuracy, making a slightly easier job for a coverage guy that wants to either swat the ball down or pick it off. That's the D-line making things easier for the defensive backs.

The D-line can also make things easier for blitzing linebackers. If they manage to occupy enough blockers, a linebacker could emerge with one man to beat or be completely unabated to the quarterback. From here, see the section on sacks.

Finally, players on the D-Line can make each other's jobs easier. Having a defensive end that's capable of taking over a game with his ability (see: Umenyiora, Osi; Allen, Jared; Williams, Mario) will cause offensive lines to either keep an extra TE on that side to block, taking him away as a receiving option - a big loss to an offense whose tight end is a huge threat in the receiving game (see: Cooley, Chris; Witten, Jason; Shockey, Jeremy; Gonzalez, Tony; Heap, Todd). Either that, or if they insist on running sets with less TEs and more receivers, they'll have to double team that particular man, giving every other guy on a 4-man defensive line a one-on-one matchup. A strong DT can create pressure up the middle much more easily just dealing with, say, a Center, rather than having to deal with a Center and an Offensive Guard.

So I say all this to say; there is no reason except for injury that Jason Taylor would not contribute. He's just too good of a player, even at his age (he's a couple of years younger, as well as healthier, than Philip Daniels, mind you). But the biggest contribution might be in the sense that he increases the effectiveness of players around him - like Montgomery, Griffin, Carter (as opposing O-lines will start shifting away from his side and toward that of Jason Taylor), as well as Marcus Washington.

I expect one, if not all of those guys to have improved seasons as a result of the intimidation factor that Jason Taylor brings. In terms of notoriety, he was almost like an AFC version of Michael Strahan. Even though he's not as young as he used to be, he still commands respect from opposing offenses. Coaches have to gameplan against him, which inevitably means shifting attention slightly away from guys that aren't really household names.

Agree or disagree?

okok...so JT had 11 sack last year...does our D give him a better chance at doing better this year?...i mean he did have Thomas and Porter. did he make there job easer laster year?....Will LF, and MW have a good season if healthy

Both were injured a good part last year.....so they didn't influence JT's production.

Jason Taylor will be moved over to LDE. He's a lot lighter than Philip Daniels but will be covering the strong side against the run (he's not just a pass rusher!). So while the Skins pass rush can only improve, there may be more runs coming to Marcus Washington's side. I hope Washington stays healthy.

It looks like the Skins DL will be a quite different animal than in years past. The DEs are lighter (Erasmus James if he ever recovers is also going to play at 255-260). I don't think the LBs are big winners except that they hopefully will NOT be relied upon to blitz the passer. They may need to step up in run.

Wonderful thread!

I fully agree, as if you watch ANY play in football, it only takes one person to screw it up or make it happen. I was watching that awesome LaRon Landry "Welcome to D.C." video, and both of the picks he made were completely due to pass rush. With Landry in the backfield and the combination of Taylor/Carter/Wilson in conjunction with our linebackers, man, this is going to be exciting!

Jason Taylor will be moved over to LDE. He's a lot lighter than Philip Daniels but will be covering the strong side against the run (he's not just a pass rusher!). So while the Skins pass rush can only improve, there may be more runs coming to Marcus Washington's side. I hope Washington stays healthy.

It looks like the Skins DL will be a quite different animal than in years past. The DEs are lighter (Erasmus James if he ever recovers is also going to play at 255-260). I don't think the LBs are big winners except that they hopefully will NOT be relied upon to blitz the passer. They may need to step up in run.

Was just about to post the same thing. I expect teams to try to establish the run against us more this year. Daniels may not have been a good pass rusher, but he was one of the best run-stuffing DE's in the game, and he was big. I hope our LBs are ready for the challenge.

The player I expect to really benefit from Taylor's presence is Anthony Montgomery.

You heard it here first.

DB's will be the biggest winners IMO. Our turnover ratio will turn completely around with the acquisition of just one player. When there is pressure... there are turnovers created.

I was already excited about the way our offense was shaping up. I am even more elated about our defense. This trade has just improved enough to make other teams really lack the confidence they would have normally had against our team.. awww man if only Carlos Rogers could catch the damn ball. We should be top 5 defense and top 5 offense/.

Someone wake me in about 2 weeks, I can't wait////// HTTR

The DT's will now enjoy some one-on-one matchups and I think Montgomery is going to be the guy that makes offenses pay. The corners are gonna love the pass rush too...obviously.

Let's start the games!! WOO!!

I would love to have Taylor on the Skinz but can the Skinz afford him. Wouldn't he require too much in a trade?

Someones living in a cave... (which apparently has internet access :whoknows: )

A lot of people are worried about the size of our defensive ends. Not me. Phillip Daniels had 37 tackles last year from the Left End position. Teams traditionally run in his direction - i.e. straight at him. Jason Taylor had 56. That's a lot for a DE that plays on the side where teams don't usually run. After all, who would be crazy enough to run right AT Jason Taylor? Attack the other guy. Chances are, he's not as good.

And let's be honest. Our guys on DL were probably a little bit better than the Fins' guys, right?

JT and Carter should be fine. You don't need a whole lot of size to be an effective DE in the league. In any case, our rush ends are going to be bigger than the 6'2", 245 Robert Mathis from Indy. (Wait, that's about Chris Wilson's size, isn't it? Hmmm....)

We needed a DE. Daniels had great run-stopping abilities, but really wasn't much of a factor in pass rushing because he was never able to replicate that game back in '05 where he had FOUR sacks. Even if the OT playing opposite him DID suck, he must have been doing SOMETHING right. But more or less, Daniels plays like an extremely undersized DT. Daniels is heavier than Taylor but he's not THAT big. He's 6'4", 275 or so. JT's 255, but he's 6'6" and has some REALLY long arms. Then we've got Andre Carter at 252. But we still won't give up a whole lot or rushing yards between the tackles - the combined weight of Cornelius Griffin and Anthony Montgomery is about 630 pounds. That's too much DT, too little space for most running backs. :gus:

And if and when they do manage to do that, they've got to deal with London Fletcher, who (as evidenced by his 128 tackles last season) doesn't miss once he wraps up.

Washington and McIntosh (hopefully the latter's ready to go sooner rather than later) can chase down runs to the outside. Daniels was a good run stuffer, but I don't feel that the rest of our line, especially Carter, who improved against the run last year and piled up 55 tackles (including the 10.5 sacks) gets enough credit for the job they did against the run. Jason Taylor, while not as big, is a much better athlete, so I don't think the run will be a problem.