How bad/good is Spears?

[ABQCOWBOY]

I was surprised by the Ferguson trade. I really felt he'd come back and have a good year & the NT we need to keep OL players off Zack Thomas so he can make lots of tackles along with breaking up pass plays. Obviously the Cowboys like Ratliff & Tank Johnson at NT & needed the cap room trading Ferguson provides. I thought Spears played a little better in 07 then previously and his cap hit will kept him on the team maybe as a backup. I wouldn't be surprised if Cowboys draft a NT like Red Bryant or DT Ahtybe Rubin with Tank Johnson as starting NT & Ratliff as starting DE but frequently spelling Tank along with help from new NT.

I really like Rubin. There are actually a couple of guys I think are pretty interesting as NT prospects in this upcoming draft. Moore, Pressley and Okam are all real interesting to me, depending on where they fall in the draft. Gotta tell ya, I love Laws.

 

[Natedawg44]

I agree above average. He's easily replaceable and as a mid 1st round draft pick that's what rankles most. That and he's can be outplayed by a 3rd, 4th, 7th and UDFA alot of the time. His draft position means he should be head and shoulders above the rest to most and he hasn't been close.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Did he play the 3-4 at LSU?

Yeah. LSU played a little 34 while he was there. They tried him at NT and DE al LSU. I don't think he was very good at either, while at LSU but I didn't really think that LSU, as a whole did a very good job with that scheme. He was much better, IMO, in a 43. That is why I kinda never really understood why Bill thought he would be such a great fit for us. I never thought he was very good in the 34. Heck, I don't even think LSU played that scheme for a season.

 

[Biggems]

I think under Saban, LSU played a 3-4, but don't hold me to that.

I think Spears does a great job at helping to kill the running game, which is invaluable. He also does a nice job, along with Canty and Ellis, of batting down passes.

He does not get to the QB as often as I would like, but the fact that he does other things very well, I can accept that. Since he does such a nice job of eating up blockers, I would like Stewart and Wade to use that to our advantage. I would like to see different blitzing schemes to exploit the way offenses are blocking Spears.

I would not mind seeing him add about 10-15 lbs of muscle and becoming our NT. I think that he would do a fine job. All he would have to do is go straight up the field and eat blockers. Then, Ratliff can go back to DE, opposite Canty, and wreak some havoc on the QB........along with Ware, Ellis, and Spencer.

 

[speedkilz88]

But under the Phillips 3-4, there is a lot of higher expectations. I think Spears was one of those vocal guys we heard from in the off-season that seemed to echo that the change from Parcells was going to do him alot of good and set him free on defense to be a better player.

Didn't really materialize for Spears.

I've thought from the second year on that Spears is another one of those guys that came from a 4-3 defense at LSU and was asked to become a 3-4 DE in the NFL and he just hasn't made the transition mentally.

He's stuck somewhere b/w wanting to be a big play, pass rushing demon like he was in college but has been asked to gain about 25 lbs and anchor the end for the team on the strong side of the defense.

This is like asking a lion to be a lamb. It's going to screw up the lion's head.

Which I think is what has happened with Spears.

Like Carp and like Roy Williams, I think they are all playing out of position and out of their schemes when asked to play the 3-4.

Spears would excel in a straight 4-3. Slim him back down and turn him loose on the OL. Let him play aggressive and forget about him.

We can't do that in a 3-4.

So I think we are stuck with his play.

:starspin ReDBaLL ExPreSS:starspin

Spears was never asked to gain 25 pounds, in fact from day one Parcells told him to lose 15 pounds and get down to his college weight of 290. Wade prefers more mobile guys than Parcells did.

 

[Natedawg44]

But under the Phillips 3-4, there is a lot of higher expectations. I think Spears was one of those vocal guys we heard from in the off-season that seemed to echo that the change from Parcells was going to do him alot of good and set him free on defense to be a better player.

Didn't really materialize for Spears.

I've thought from the second year on that Spears is another one of those guys that came from a 4-3 defense at LSU and was asked to become a 3-4 DE in the NFL and he just hasn't made the transition mentally.

He's stuck somewhere b/w wanting to be a big play, pass rushing demon like he was in college but has been asked to gain about 25 lbs and anchor the end for the team on the strong side of the defense.

This is like asking a lion to be a lamb. It's going to screw up the lion's head.

Which I think is what has happened with Spears.

Like Carp and like Roy Williams, I think they are all playing out of position and out of their schemes when asked to play the 3-4.

Spears would excel in a straight 4-3. Slim him back down and turn him loose on the OL. Let him play aggressive and forget about him.

We can't do that in a 3-4.

So I think we are stuck with his play.

:starspin ReDBaLL ExPreSS:starspin

I think you are spot on. The other alternative is to fatten him up give him the Nose and let Ratliff loose at DE.

 

[burmafrd]

Spears played the Saban 3-4 at LSU. He was injured some in his last season if I remember correctly; I think his jr year he had like 8 sacks and that was considered great in a 3-4. He also made a fair number of plays as regards tackles for losses and such. He was considered the BEST 3-4 DE in the draft that year. BP considered him a cornerstone for the 3-4 he wanted to install; untill the combine when Ware exploded it was thought that we would use our #11 to get Spears and the #20 to get Ware. Once it became clear that Ware would not last to #20 we took him early then BP sweated it to get Spears. One must remember that really no one expected ware to be as great as he has become; we had hopes but he was a DE in college and a small college at that.

 

[theogt]

Spears played the Saban 3-4 at LSU. He was injured some in his last season if I remember correctly; I think his jr year he had like 8 sacks and that was considered great in a 3-4. He also made a fair number of plays as regards tackles for losses and such. He was considered the BEST 3-4 DE in the draft that year. BP considered him a cornerstone for the 3-4 he wanted to install; untill the combine when Ware exploded it was thought that we would use our #11 to get Spears and the #20 to get Ware. Once it became clear that Ware would not last to #20 we took him early then BP sweated it to get Spears. One must remember that really no one expected ware to be as great as he has become; we had hopes but he was a DE in college and a small college at that.

They didn't play a 3-4 at LSU. They played a 4-3 Over/Under which resembles a 3-4 in some respects. And Spears was not injured during his final year in college.

And I think everyone had extremely high hopes for Ware coming out of college. The LT comparisons were off the charts. LT even came down to training camp to tutor him.

 

[Paniolo22]

The biggest negative on Spears is that he's a 1st round draft pick. If we were getting the same production from a 3rd or 4th round pick I think everyone would be pretty happy.

Switch Spears and Ratliff, and I don't think anyone would be grumbling. Canty was a 4th round pick and has done just a little more than Spears, but no one really complains about him. It's the 1st round stigma that has Spears doomed. That and his non-playmaking ability.

 

[Nors]

He's an above average 3-4 DT.

Someday people will realize thats a non glorious job. Not going to erack up Sacks. More to being a football player than a sack count. You can always play on the edge like Suggs and get some sacks but get blown off the ball all game long head on and hurt your team.

Spears is better served as a 4-3 DT - JMO
But with Hatcher, Canty, Spears we are solid at DE
With Rat in the wings if need be!

 

[burmafrd]

Of course there were high hopes. BUT still he has done even more then we had hoped. As regards Spears,
I recall that something happened his sr year when his production went down and the belief at that time was that it did not reflect on him badly. I thought it was an injury. I remember all the debate about him. Seems clear that we were wrong about him.

 

[theogt]

Of course there were high hopes. BUT still he has done even more then we had hoped. As regards Spears,
I recall that something happened his sr year when his production went down and the belief at that time was that it did not reflect on him badly. I thought it was an injury. I remember all the debate about him. Seems clear that we were wrong about him.

No, you probably don't recall that because his production was down at the beginning of the year and it picked up in a few games at the end. The majority of his 9 sacks in his final season came over a span of 3-4 games.

 

[burmafrd]

OK so that is why it seemed he was injured. Still a lot of sacks in 3-4 games shows a lot more promise then he ever has shown HERE.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

No, you probably don't recall that because his production was down at the beginning of the year and it picked up in a few games at the end. The majority of his 9 sacks in his final season came over a span of 3-4 games.

As I recall, LSU went to more of a traditional 43 set over the last part of the season and that is when they caught fire. 34 set or over under, they didn't really play very well in it early in the season. going off memory here but I just never really thought he was a very good fit for the 34.

Those who say that he is doing fine, well, in context to what? In context to a 5 round pick? He's being paid 1st rd money. I have a real hard time believing that we drafted a guy in the first round to eat blocks. No, I don't see that.

 

[theogt]

OK so that is why it seemed he was injured. Still a lot of sacks in 3-4 games shows a lot more promise then he ever has shown HERE.

I don't think anyone could reasonably look at his college production and his body-type/speed and say, "This guy is going to be good at rushing the passer in the NFL."

If they did, they're an idiot.

 

[burmafrd]

To me there is a pretty big difference from 1-2 sacks a year and a handfull of pressures and no tackles for loss each year and what Spears showed at LSU.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Those who say that he is doing fine, well, in context to what? In context to a 5 round pick? He's being paid 1st rd money. I have a real hard time believing that we drafted a guy in the first round to eat blocks. No, I don't see that.

Spears is a bum his numbers where higher under Parcells. He is below average i can't believe people are saying that its not a D-linemans job to rush the quaterback. Simply put he can't make plays on the QB and that what we need at DE. Our defense would look much better as a whole if the D-lineman could actually get to the QB

 

[goshan]

ok, lets set the record straight:

1. Spears isn't an Above Average starter. He is an Average or Below average starter. Bill and Wade have been clear that they needed more out of him. He has always been on the verge of losing his starting position. Coaches don't think he is Above Average - he isn't. At the same time, he isn't a bad player.
2. The reports I saw on Spears pre-draft indicated he would not be that strong at rushing the passer in the NFL but the expectations were that he would make more big plays than he has because of his quick feet. He was viewed as a difference maker - not a block eater.
3. Ware hasn't been a surprise. Some thought he was a top 5 player in the draft (before the draft).

 

[ayjackson]

Is he an average 3-4 end? Well looking at other 3-4 teams, he's better than anything the Jets, Browns and 49ers had this year. He's not as good as Canty or the Pats' DEs, and he'd probably fit in fine with the Steelers, Ravens or Chargers DE's fine. So to me he looks about average, if not slightly better.

I'm fine with him backing up Ratliff and Canty at DE or Tank at NT. I think with the Dolphins and Bengals trying to build 3-4 lines, and the Browns trying to improve theirs, there's be some interest in him. I do think he's best fit as a 4-3 DT though.

 

[DallasDomination]

Spears is below average at penetration and above average at stoping the run.

So He's average, Ordinary, ok, not good but not mediocre..However you wanna see it.