DMN JJT Blog: Ebenezer Ekuban lives ... and plays pretty well for Denver

[WoodysGirl]

9:27 AM Wed, Aug 13, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Jean-Jacques Taylor E-mail News tips
It's hard to believe the Cowboys former No.1 draft pick is entering his 10th season.

This is his third year in Denver after a year with Cleveland. He spent the first five seasons of his career in Dallas trying to be the next Charles Haley.

Like Shante Carver and Kavika Pittman before him, he failed. It was always hard for me to understand why because no one ever outworked Eb. I always thought that if you had talent and worked hard, you would succeed at football's highest level.

Ekuban, though, could never consistently get to the quarterback. He was too stiff to get low enough to regularly beat the tackle around the end.

For example, when DeMarcus Ware is coming off the edge, he can get so low it seems like his shoulder is touching the ground, then he pops back up, accelerates to the quarterback and drills him.

Ekuban has made himself a solid player. He had 12.5 sacks in five seasons with Dallas and 19 in the three seasons since he left.

He never had more than 6.5 sacks with Dallas, but has eclipsed that total in two of the past three seasons.

 

[AbeBeta]

People continue to call him a bust -- but busts don't make it in the league for this long.

Many guys taken before him -- Tim Couch, Akili Smith, David Boston, Cade McNown, Troy Edwards, and Matt Stinchcomb -- aren't even in the league anymore. Many other first rounders taken after -- Lamar King, Reggie McGrew, Antwan Edwards, Aaron Gibson, Andy Katzenmoyer, and Dmitrius Underwood -- aren't in the league either.

All in all Ekuban did pretty well in comparison to much of that draft class.

 

[Bungarian]

Remember the time he broke JJ in half?

 

[aikemirv]

People continue to call him a bust -- but busts don't make it in the league for this long.

Many guys taken before him -- Tim Couch, Akili Smith, David Boston, Cade McNown, Troy Edwards, and Matt Stinchcomb -- aren't even in the league anymore. Many other first rounders taken after -- Lamar King, Reggie McGrew, Antwan Edwards, Aaron Gibson, Andy Katzenmoyer, and Dmitrius Underwood -- aren't in the league either.

All in all Ekuban did pretty well in comparison to much of that draft class.

Any DE that Dallas drafts that does not get double digit sacks is called a bust or underacheiver.

Prime Ex. - G Ellis and Spears , Ekuban

 

[dbair1967]

I always liked Ekuban...he worked his tail off and played with a mean streak...he was doomed by having to play for Zimmer...

David

 

[ZeroClub]

They can't all be Pro Bowlers. Just having a career in this league is an accomplishment.

 

[joseephuss]

I always liked Ekuban...he worked his tail off and played with a mean streak...he was doomed by having to play for Zimmer...

David

Zimmer has nothing to do with it. He is just not a great pass rusher. He wasn't with Zimmer and hasn't been without Zimmer. He is a solid player. What really hurt Ek was the back injury he suffered on opening day of 2001, his 3rd season.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

I always liked Ekuban...he worked his tail off and played with a mean streak...he was doomed by having to play for Zimmer...

David

 

[adbutcher]

I always liked Ekuban...he worked his tail off and played with a mean streak...he was doomed by having to play for Zimmer...

David

Me too. When he drug the QB (I forget his name) by the helmet was a thing of beauty.

 

[dbair1967]

Zimmer has nothing to do with it. He is just not a great pass rusher. He wasn't with Zimmer and hasn't been without Zimmer. He is a solid player. What really hurt Ek was the back injury he suffered on opening day of 2001, his 3rd season.

he has more than 50% more sacks in less years since he left...you think thats a coincidence? Jamal Anderson was a top-10 pick last yr, had 14 or 15 sacks for Arkansas against great opponents his SR yr...guess how many he had for Mike Zimmer in 16 starts last yr? NONE Laroi Glover was a sack machine in New Orleans, comes to play for Zimmer and whats happens...sack production goes way down

He's one of the worst coordinators ever when it comes to creating pass rush and sacks

David

 

[joseephuss]

he has more than 50% more sacks in less years since he left...you think thats a coincidence? Jamal Anderson was a top-10 pick last yr, had 14 or 15 sacks for Arkansas against great opponents his SR yr...guess how many he had for Mike Zimmer in 16 starts last yr? NONE Laroi Glover was a sack machine in New Orleans, comes to play for Zimmer and whats happens...sack production goes way down

He's one of the worst coordinators ever when it comes to creating pass rush and sacks

David

I don't think Zimmer is a great DC, but he is not the worst, either. Ek just does not win enough one on one battles to be a premier pass rusher in the NFL. That has nothing to do with whomever is the DC.

I like Ek, always have. He just could not beat the left tackle consistently enough to create pressure or sacks during his career to be in the upper level of pass rushers. Still he is a solid player.

1999 Dallas
Rookie season 2.5 sacks in 16 games and 2 starts

2000 Dallas
Perhaps his best year considering he only played in 12 games and had 2 starts and had 6.5 sacks.

2001 Dallas
Did not even play one full game that year. He hurt his back in the opener against Tampa. A severe back injury is not good for a speed rusher.

2002 Dallas
1 sack in 16 games. He looked slower that year. He was still recovering from a major injury, so it came as no surprise to me.

2003 Dallas
2.5 sacks

2004 Cleveland
8 sacks

2005 Denver
4 sacks

2006 Denver
7 sacks

2007 Denver
DNP because of an injury he suffered in the pre-season at Dallas. Ruptured achilles?

In all the games he has played since leaving Dallas he has only had one game with multiple sacks. That was the season finale of 2004 against Houston when he had two sacks. Who didn't sack a Houston QB during those years? I have seen him play in several games since he has not been a Cowboy. I see the same guy that he was in Dallas. He doesn't win his match ups. When he did get sacks they were coverage sacks. They weren't schemes to free him up. The QBs just ran out of time.

I am not surprised that he is having 7 and 8 sack seasons. He is not a rookie like he was in Dallas. He knows the game better. Nor is he missing a whole season from a back injury early in his formative career and then working his way back into shape and re-adjusting. Still his best season was in Dallas, so the notion that he is better now or better utilized is incorrect.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Zimmer has nothing to do with it. He is just not a great pass rusher. He wasn't with Zimmer and hasn't been without Zimmer. He is a solid player. What really hurt Ek was the back injury he suffered on opening day of 2001, his 3rd season.

I don't know about that. Under the Cowboys, Ekuban was averaging 0.2 sacks per game played, and 0.37 sacks per game started.

After leaving Dallas, he's averaged 0.4 sacks per game played and 0.63 sacks per game started.

You're right, he was never a great pass rusher, but Zimmer bringing the parade of suck didn't help matters.





YAKUZA