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Friday, June 20th, 2008
Positional Battles
by Dave Gardner
The football world is about to come to the three-week hiatus; this is the desert of the offseason calendar. Here, between the last OTAs and the beginning of training camp, it seems like the only NFL news concerns which players have been arrested. However, for coaches, this time is as busy as any other on the calendar. Before training camp begins, coaches have to know which position battles they are going to watch most closely.
Although a coach will never say that a player is guaranteed a roster spot, there’s no chance that Tom Brady is getting cut when the Patriots go down to their 53-man roster. It’s not always just about figuring out if rookies are ready to start, sometimes injuries unearth players that had been buried on the depth chart. Then the one-time incumbent starter has to fight off the player who doesn’t have the dreaded “injury concerns” stigma.
Here is a look at the most intriguing positional battle from each team.
Quarterback
San Francisco: Shaun Hill vs. J.T. O’Sullivan vs. Alex Smith
This is certainly not the only team with an undetermined starter at quarterback, but it is the only three-man race for the job. Alex Smith has the advantage of being a top investment of the team. Despite his poor play, the team is on the hook for selecting him first overall, and he yields a fat paycheck. Shaun Hill played well down the stretch last season, despite being third on the depth chart. He tossed five touchdowns to just one interception, racking up a gaudy 101.3 passer rating. The final man in the battle is new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’ disciple from Detroit, J.T. O’Sullivan. He has only attempted 26 passes (passer rating: 48.2) in his eight-year career, he is the most familiar with Martz’ complex offense.
Projected Depth Chart: Smith, Hill, O’Sullivan. Because Mike Nolan selected him, he’s going to want to give Smith the chance to succeed in order to save his own job. However, Smith will be on a short leash, and he could be benched for Shaun Hill very early in the season.
Running Back
Oakland: Michael Bush vs. Justin Fargas vs. Lamont Jordan vs. Darren McFadden
It is a good situation for the Raiders that young quarterback JaMarcus Russell has a strong team of running backs behind him. The team drafted Darren McFadden out of Arkansas with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. His combination of speed and power will be hard to keep off the field. Justin Fargas, a USC product, got his first real chance as a starter last season and responded with over 1,000 yards in just seven starts. Finally, Michael Bush was once though to be a first-round talent, but he suffered an injury in his final year at Louisville. He should be ready to contribute this year in a big way. Lamont Jordan has been cleared to find himself a trade, so it is unlikely that he will be a Raider in the fall.
Projected Depth Chart: McFadden, Fargas, Bush. Although Fargas was impressive last year, he will serve as a complimentary back to McFadden. The Raiders will feel the pressure to put their top pick on the field, and running back is one of the most productive rookie positions.
Tight End
Chicago: Desmond Clark vs. Greg Olsen
Desmond Clark has been extremely productive in his last two season in Chicago. He averaged 12.4 yards per catch and grabbed four touchdowns last season despite the competition from Greg Olsen. Olsen also played well for a rookie, but he was held to under 400 yards receiving. Whoever wins the quarterback battle (my money is on Devin Hester) will need the tight ends to produce for him because of the dearth of talent at wide receiver and running back.
Projected Depth Chart: Olsen, Clark. Clark’s production should remain around the same this season, but Olsen will improve drastically from last season. He is athletic enough to outmatch linebackers, while still remaining a decent enough blocker to leave on the field in running situations.
Wide Receiver
Tampa: Antonio Bryant, Mike Clayton, Ike Hilliard, Maurice Stovall
The competition in Tampa is all at the flanker position. Joey Galloway is locked in as the No. 1 wide receiver, and his heir apparent, Dexter Jackson, will back him up at split end. The Bucs are looking for a consistent starter opposite of him, a possession wide receiver who can rack up yards after the catch. Mike Clayton was just that in his rookie season, but hasn’t matched the production of that season in the three seasons since… combined. Ike Hilliard is an underrated commodity, but he is best suited as a backup because his speed is diminishing. Finally, Maurice Stovall has been an excellent special teams player who flashes production on offense but has been extremely inconsistent.
Projected Depth Chart: Maurice Stovall, Mike Clayton, Ike Hilliard, Antonio Bryant. Stovall, who enters his third season in Gruden’s offense, should finally have a full grasp on it. His big body and reliable hands will be an asset to Jeff Garcia. Mike Clayton will probably be more productive this season because it’s his contract year, and Antonio Bryant will see more time in relief of Galloway than opposite of him.
Offensive Line
Baltimore: Oniel Cousins vs. Adam Terry vs. Marshal Yanda at right tackle
The Ravens will likely feature a new starter at every position on the offensive line. Following the retirement of Jonathan Ogden, last year’s supplemental draft pick, Jared Gaither, will take over the crucial left tackle position. He had a year to study behind Ogden, and he even saw some valuable playing time. Ben Grubbs, last year’s first-round pick, will move to left guard and replace Jason Brown, who will move to center. After starting at right tackle as a rookie, Marshal Yanda will battle with Jason Terry and rookie Oniel Cousins for the starting position. One of the losers will take the right guard spot. This offensive line will be quite young and quite talented.
Projected Depth Chart: Jared Gaither (LT), Ben Grubbs (LG), Jason Brown (C), Marshall Yanda (RG), Adam Terry (RT).
Defensive Line
Jacksonville: Derrick Harvey vs. Paul Spicer at left end
The Jaguars identified the pass rush as one of their main flaws last season, and they aggressively attempted to solve that in the draft. They moved up twice, first to select Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey and then later to select Auburn defensive end Quentin Groves. Both were phenomenal players in college, but they’ll have to beat out incumbent starters Paul Spicer (left defensive end) and Reggie Hayward (right defensive end), respectively. At defensive tackle, the team traded Marcus Stroud to the Bills, and then they rewarded his replacement, Rob Meier, with a new contract. Derek Landri will push for playing time at the position behind him.
Projected Depth Chart: Derrick Harvey (LDE), Rob Meier (LDT), John Henderson (RDT), Reggie Hayward (RDE).
Linebacker
New York Jets: Vernon Gholston vs. Cavin Pace vs. Bryan Thomas
These three players are battling for two starting spots at outside linebacker. Bryan Thomas was a pleasant surprise in 2006, but then took a step back in 2007. The Jets’ front office and head coach Eric Mangini, now in fear of losing their jobs, took Vernon Gholston out of Ohio State with the sixth overall pick. They also acquired Cardinals outside linebacker Calvin Pace in free agency. He recorded 6.5 sacks last year along with 98 tackles and two turnovers. There is also a less prominent battle at inside linebacker, where the talent gap between Eric Barton and Brad Kassell is minimal.
Projected Depth Chart: Vernon Gholston, Bryan Thomas, Calvin Pace. Although Calvin Pace had a good season last year, he had struggled early in his career in Arizona. It remains to be seen whether last season was a fluke or his first four seasons were. Gholston, although raw, should be able to provide an immediate spark in the pass rush.
Cornerback
Dallas: Anthony Henry vs. Adam Jones vs. Mike Jenkins
Terrence Newman continues to excel at corner for the Cowboys, but the play opposite of him has not been inspiring. Although Henry recorded six interceptions last season, he plays much better in space than he does in man coverage, and he struggles against the run at times. The Cowboys upgraded the position in two ways: they traded their fourth-round pick to the Titans for suspended cornerback Adam Jones, and they drafted Mike Jenkins in the first round. Jones is a great player on the field, but he will be on the business end of a lifetime ban if he screws up again off of it. Not playing football for a year will also keep him behind in the competition early in training camp. Mike Jenkins will be a factor for years to come, but he could struggle early and be relegated to dime.
Projected Depth Chart: Newman, Jones, Henry, Jenkins. What was last year a position of concern for the Cowboys is now one of their deepest. Don’t be surprised if Henry continues to slide down the depth chart as a fellow USF alumnus, Mike Jenkins, improves throughout the season.
Safety
New York Giants: James Butler vs. Sammy Knight vs. Kenny Phillips vs. Michael Johnson
The Giants lost Gibril Wilson to free agency after their Super Bowl championship, and that left them with a dearth of talent at the position. They acquired veteran Sammy Knight, who showed last season in Jacksonville that he still has the ability to play, and drafted Kenny Phillips (Miami) in the first round. They also have last year’s starting strong safety, James Butler, and second-year player Michael Johnson in the fold for playing time. Depending on who is most impressive in camp, the starters at strong and free safety could change. Butler, for example, could move to free safety and Sammy Knight could start at strong safety. Or, if Phillips wins out, Butler could remain a strong safety.
Projected Depth Chart: Sammy Knight (SS), Kenny Phillips (FS). The Giants would like to have some more valuable depth at free safety, so James Butler will back up Phillips at free safety, and Michael Johnson will remain the back up strong safety to new starter Sammy Knight.
Don’t fight it, write it! Got a question or a comment? Send it in to [email protected]. Include your name and hometown, and I might include you in an upcoming article (unless you instruct me otherwise).
http://www.newerascouting.com/nfl/articles/783-positional-battles/
Positional Battles
by Dave Gardner
The football world is about to come to the three-week hiatus; this is the desert of the offseason calendar. Here, between the last OTAs and the beginning of training camp, it seems like the only NFL news concerns which players have been arrested. However, for coaches, this time is as busy as any other on the calendar. Before training camp begins, coaches have to know which position battles they are going to watch most closely.
Although a coach will never say that a player is guaranteed a roster spot, there’s no chance that Tom Brady is getting cut when the Patriots go down to their 53-man roster. It’s not always just about figuring out if rookies are ready to start, sometimes injuries unearth players that had been buried on the depth chart. Then the one-time incumbent starter has to fight off the player who doesn’t have the dreaded “injury concerns” stigma.
Here is a look at the most intriguing positional battle from each team.
Quarterback
San Francisco: Shaun Hill vs. J.T. O’Sullivan vs. Alex Smith
This is certainly not the only team with an undetermined starter at quarterback, but it is the only three-man race for the job. Alex Smith has the advantage of being a top investment of the team. Despite his poor play, the team is on the hook for selecting him first overall, and he yields a fat paycheck. Shaun Hill played well down the stretch last season, despite being third on the depth chart. He tossed five touchdowns to just one interception, racking up a gaudy 101.3 passer rating. The final man in the battle is new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’ disciple from Detroit, J.T. O’Sullivan. He has only attempted 26 passes (passer rating: 48.2) in his eight-year career, he is the most familiar with Martz’ complex offense.
Projected Depth Chart: Smith, Hill, O’Sullivan. Because Mike Nolan selected him, he’s going to want to give Smith the chance to succeed in order to save his own job. However, Smith will be on a short leash, and he could be benched for Shaun Hill very early in the season.
Running Back
Oakland: Michael Bush vs. Justin Fargas vs. Lamont Jordan vs. Darren McFadden
It is a good situation for the Raiders that young quarterback JaMarcus Russell has a strong team of running backs behind him. The team drafted Darren McFadden out of Arkansas with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. His combination of speed and power will be hard to keep off the field. Justin Fargas, a USC product, got his first real chance as a starter last season and responded with over 1,000 yards in just seven starts. Finally, Michael Bush was once though to be a first-round talent, but he suffered an injury in his final year at Louisville. He should be ready to contribute this year in a big way. Lamont Jordan has been cleared to find himself a trade, so it is unlikely that he will be a Raider in the fall.
Projected Depth Chart: McFadden, Fargas, Bush. Although Fargas was impressive last year, he will serve as a complimentary back to McFadden. The Raiders will feel the pressure to put their top pick on the field, and running back is one of the most productive rookie positions.
Tight End
Chicago: Desmond Clark vs. Greg Olsen
Desmond Clark has been extremely productive in his last two season in Chicago. He averaged 12.4 yards per catch and grabbed four touchdowns last season despite the competition from Greg Olsen. Olsen also played well for a rookie, but he was held to under 400 yards receiving. Whoever wins the quarterback battle (my money is on Devin Hester) will need the tight ends to produce for him because of the dearth of talent at wide receiver and running back.
Projected Depth Chart: Olsen, Clark. Clark’s production should remain around the same this season, but Olsen will improve drastically from last season. He is athletic enough to outmatch linebackers, while still remaining a decent enough blocker to leave on the field in running situations.
Wide Receiver
Tampa: Antonio Bryant, Mike Clayton, Ike Hilliard, Maurice Stovall
The competition in Tampa is all at the flanker position. Joey Galloway is locked in as the No. 1 wide receiver, and his heir apparent, Dexter Jackson, will back him up at split end. The Bucs are looking for a consistent starter opposite of him, a possession wide receiver who can rack up yards after the catch. Mike Clayton was just that in his rookie season, but hasn’t matched the production of that season in the three seasons since… combined. Ike Hilliard is an underrated commodity, but he is best suited as a backup because his speed is diminishing. Finally, Maurice Stovall has been an excellent special teams player who flashes production on offense but has been extremely inconsistent.
Projected Depth Chart: Maurice Stovall, Mike Clayton, Ike Hilliard, Antonio Bryant. Stovall, who enters his third season in Gruden’s offense, should finally have a full grasp on it. His big body and reliable hands will be an asset to Jeff Garcia. Mike Clayton will probably be more productive this season because it’s his contract year, and Antonio Bryant will see more time in relief of Galloway than opposite of him.
Offensive Line
Baltimore: Oniel Cousins vs. Adam Terry vs. Marshal Yanda at right tackle
The Ravens will likely feature a new starter at every position on the offensive line. Following the retirement of Jonathan Ogden, last year’s supplemental draft pick, Jared Gaither, will take over the crucial left tackle position. He had a year to study behind Ogden, and he even saw some valuable playing time. Ben Grubbs, last year’s first-round pick, will move to left guard and replace Jason Brown, who will move to center. After starting at right tackle as a rookie, Marshal Yanda will battle with Jason Terry and rookie Oniel Cousins for the starting position. One of the losers will take the right guard spot. This offensive line will be quite young and quite talented.
Projected Depth Chart: Jared Gaither (LT), Ben Grubbs (LG), Jason Brown (C), Marshall Yanda (RG), Adam Terry (RT).
Defensive Line
Jacksonville: Derrick Harvey vs. Paul Spicer at left end
The Jaguars identified the pass rush as one of their main flaws last season, and they aggressively attempted to solve that in the draft. They moved up twice, first to select Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey and then later to select Auburn defensive end Quentin Groves. Both were phenomenal players in college, but they’ll have to beat out incumbent starters Paul Spicer (left defensive end) and Reggie Hayward (right defensive end), respectively. At defensive tackle, the team traded Marcus Stroud to the Bills, and then they rewarded his replacement, Rob Meier, with a new contract. Derek Landri will push for playing time at the position behind him.
Projected Depth Chart: Derrick Harvey (LDE), Rob Meier (LDT), John Henderson (RDT), Reggie Hayward (RDE).
Linebacker
New York Jets: Vernon Gholston vs. Cavin Pace vs. Bryan Thomas
These three players are battling for two starting spots at outside linebacker. Bryan Thomas was a pleasant surprise in 2006, but then took a step back in 2007. The Jets’ front office and head coach Eric Mangini, now in fear of losing their jobs, took Vernon Gholston out of Ohio State with the sixth overall pick. They also acquired Cardinals outside linebacker Calvin Pace in free agency. He recorded 6.5 sacks last year along with 98 tackles and two turnovers. There is also a less prominent battle at inside linebacker, where the talent gap between Eric Barton and Brad Kassell is minimal.
Projected Depth Chart: Vernon Gholston, Bryan Thomas, Calvin Pace. Although Calvin Pace had a good season last year, he had struggled early in his career in Arizona. It remains to be seen whether last season was a fluke or his first four seasons were. Gholston, although raw, should be able to provide an immediate spark in the pass rush.
Cornerback
Dallas: Anthony Henry vs. Adam Jones vs. Mike Jenkins
Terrence Newman continues to excel at corner for the Cowboys, but the play opposite of him has not been inspiring. Although Henry recorded six interceptions last season, he plays much better in space than he does in man coverage, and he struggles against the run at times. The Cowboys upgraded the position in two ways: they traded their fourth-round pick to the Titans for suspended cornerback Adam Jones, and they drafted Mike Jenkins in the first round. Jones is a great player on the field, but he will be on the business end of a lifetime ban if he screws up again off of it. Not playing football for a year will also keep him behind in the competition early in training camp. Mike Jenkins will be a factor for years to come, but he could struggle early and be relegated to dime.
Projected Depth Chart: Newman, Jones, Henry, Jenkins. What was last year a position of concern for the Cowboys is now one of their deepest. Don’t be surprised if Henry continues to slide down the depth chart as a fellow USF alumnus, Mike Jenkins, improves throughout the season.
Safety
New York Giants: James Butler vs. Sammy Knight vs. Kenny Phillips vs. Michael Johnson
The Giants lost Gibril Wilson to free agency after their Super Bowl championship, and that left them with a dearth of talent at the position. They acquired veteran Sammy Knight, who showed last season in Jacksonville that he still has the ability to play, and drafted Kenny Phillips (Miami) in the first round. They also have last year’s starting strong safety, James Butler, and second-year player Michael Johnson in the fold for playing time. Depending on who is most impressive in camp, the starters at strong and free safety could change. Butler, for example, could move to free safety and Sammy Knight could start at strong safety. Or, if Phillips wins out, Butler could remain a strong safety.
Projected Depth Chart: Sammy Knight (SS), Kenny Phillips (FS). The Giants would like to have some more valuable depth at free safety, so James Butler will back up Phillips at free safety, and Michael Johnson will remain the back up strong safety to new starter Sammy Knight.
Don’t fight it, write it! Got a question or a comment? Send it in to [email protected]. Include your name and hometown, and I might include you in an upcoming article (unless you instruct me otherwise).
http://www.newerascouting.com/nfl/articles/783-positional-battles/
Not many realize Ellis blew that tackle on Toomer last year...
