Star Mag - Marcus Spears: Big, Athletic

[TheCount]

I don't know if his pressures are right for college, but I was just looking him up there and noticed they had his numbers wrong for 2007 (they had him for only 11 solo tackles, I changed it to 19, which is what is posted on ESPN, Yahoo and NFL.com.

So I wouldn't be so quick to take Wikipedia numbers for fact.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

How the hell do you people expect our ends to get all these sacks with Ware and Ellis coming off the edges, seriously? Do you think Spears is going to outrun D Ware to a QB? :laugh2:

Seriously, you know how I'll know when Spears is playing as badly as some people here think he is? When we start getting run all over constantly and when I see our OLBs getting blocked by the RT of the opposing offense. Until then, I think I'll just go on having common sense and knowing that Spears is doing his job.

 

[jobberone]

5-7 sacks is outstanding for a 3-4 end. A few guys have done it in a season, but no one to my knowledge has done it consistently. Maybe Richard Seymour a few years ago. I know Aaron Smith hit 8, and Ty Warren had a great 06' season, but to expect 5-7 sacks from our linemen is unreasonable. 3-5 is a far better baramoter for a good 3-4 end

Spears and Canty played better last year. Why? Because there mission changed some with Bill gone. Spears nor Canty are going to get a lot of sacks or pressures in this defense although they should improve over their first two seasons here. Canty did have a better year. You're right. I'd say 2-4 sacks is a solid season for either esp Spears on the strong side. And they are both pretty good against the run.

canty will get minimum 5 this year. and yes seymour gets that many. sacks honestly shouldnt be the end all stats when judging DE's in the 3-4 but 2 pressures is pathetic.

You're right. The pressures should be a little better. But with Ellis and Ware on their outside they just aren't going to a lot.

Spears is probably our most underrated player (with Kosier a close second). He does a good job holding up at the point of attack and sniffs the QB once in awhile. He is not a star but he is a good rotation guy to have. I wouldn't pay the moon to keep him but I would try to re-sign him when his contract expires to a 3 or 4 year deal.

Spears isn't in any trouble. If Hatcher or someone else can play the run and hold the line as well or better than Spears then he could see the field less and lose his starting job. And I think Hatcher may put a move on him this year. And why does Kosier get so much grief. The guy is a lot more than solid. He is a very steady player who gets the job done. He's just not quite the player most of the rest of the line is, which is Pro Bowl caliber. And he's not that far off. Colombo doesn't get the love he deserves either.

How the hell do you people expect our ends to get all these sacks with Ware and Ellis coming off the edges, seriously? Do you think Spears is going to outrun D Ware to a QB? :laugh2:

Seriously, you know how I'll know when Spears is playing as badly as some people here think he is? When we start getting run all over constantly and when I see our OLBs getting blocked by the RT of the opposing offense. Until then, I think I'll just go on having common sense and knowing that Spears is doing his job.

Exactly. I do think Spears is not outstanding. He's pretty solid. And Hatcher may become a more active player. But Spears is not in any danger, yet, from losing a roster spot. Maybe some playing time but not roster. He could end up moving on if some team gives him more money. I do think that is possible.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

How the hell do you people expect our ends to get all these sacks with Ware and Ellis coming off the edges, seriously? Do you think Spears is going to outrun D Ware to a QB? :laugh2:

Seriously, you know how I'll know when Spears is playing as badly as some people here think he is? When we start getting run all over constantly and when I see our OLBs getting blocked by the RT of the opposing offense. Until then, I think I'll just go on having common sense and knowing that Spears is doing his job.

I'd wrather have spears shed the blocker and make the play in the backfield then him being a human shield. This isn't BP scheme anymore he doesn't have to be a human shield.

Spears and Canty played better last year. Why? Because there mission changed some with Bill gone. Spears nor Canty are going to get a lot of sacks or pressures in this defense although they should improve over their first two seasons here. Canty did have a better year. You're right. I'd say 2-4 sacks is a solid season for either esp Spears on the strong side. And they are both pretty good against the run.

Spears is one of the few players on our D whose stats actually went down in 07 him and ADoyele to be exact.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

I'd wrather have spears shed the blocker and make the play in the backfield then him being a human shield. This isn't BP scheme anymore he doesn't have to be a human shield.

I'd rather have every defensive lineman we have shed their blocks instantly and go Madden for 5 sacks a game, but this is real football we're talking about here. In a 3-4, Spears is going to be getting touched by the Guard and the Tackle most plays, so whether or not he's trying to shoot the gap, his primary responsibility is still to make sure he disrupts the O Line so the linebackers can do their job, not to get to the QB.

The fact of the matter is the majority of the time a 3-4 end gets a sack, it's just because the OLB comes around the edge and the QB has to step up and it results in a sack for the DE. Seriously, Spears is no superstar, and he was a first round pick, so it's not out of line to be disappointed that he's not a supestar, but you can't have 53 superstars on your team.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Castillo had seven sacks in Wade's 34 in 2006...

Not to just totally bash on Spears, because Adam had a post recently where he demonstrated that Spears had more "big plays" last year than he ever did under Parcells.

I think the problem people (including me) have with Spears is that he's so talented, he could be a lot better than he is. It's not that he's horrible, but that he has the potential to be better. Even Parcells talked about having to stay on him all the time to keep his motor running.

 

[TheCount]

Castillo had seven sacks in Wade's 34 in 2006...

Not to just totally bash on Spears, because Adam had a post recently where he demonstrated that Spears had more "big plays" last year than he ever did under Parcells.

I think the problem people (including me) have with Spears is that he's so talented, he could be a lot better than he is. It's not that he's horrible, but that he has the potential to be better. Even Parcells talked about having to stay on him all the time to keep his motor running.

Is he? Are we sure about that?

I mean it's not like players aren't beasts in college and turn into just an above average NFL player.

As far as Castillo, that's another reason I wanted us to get a hog at NT instead of relying on basically two 3-4 DE's to man the NT spot for us this season. Castillo had Jamal Williams causing all sorts of problems and taking up space at NT, that has to help.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

I'd rather have every defensive lineman we have shed their blocks instantly and go Madden for 5 sacks a game, but this is real football we're talking about here. In a 3-4, Spears is going to be getting touched by the Guard and the Tackle most plays, so whether or not he's trying to shoot the gap, his primary responsibility is still to make sure he disrupts the O Line so the linebackers can do their job, not to get to the QB.

The fact of the matter is the majority of the time a 3-4 end gets a sack, it's just because the OLB comes around the edge and the QB has to step up and it results in a sack for the DE. Seriously, Spears is no superstar, and he was a first round pick, so it's not out of line to be disappointed that he's not a supestar, but you can't have 53 superstars on your team.

The fact of the matter is that spears sucks and he's underacheived and hasn't lived up to his 1st round draft pick.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Is he? Are we sure about that?

Yeah, we're pretty sure.

Or do you think he's just an average talent?

And if so, why was he drafted in the first round? Was he considered a huge reach where we took him?

Spears' rep in college was that he didn't have always have a great motor. So what I'm saying is hardly some groundbreaking statement.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

The fact of the matter is that spears sucks and he's underacheived and hasn't lived up to his 1st round draft pick.

Man, you really can't argue with a rock solid thesis such as this, especially not from somebody who makes a word plural with a Z.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Man, you really can't argue with a rock solid thesis such as this, especially not from somebody who makes a word plural with a Z.

??? I made plural with z find that post for me and i gaurentee i was being sarcastic. Rock solid thesis what about the facts i pointed out ealier about him having a worse season than under BP hi 30 tackles and 2 sacks are some of the lowest totals compared to all DE in the 3-4 system. please...... try again buddy.

 

[TheCount]

Yeah, we're pretty sure.

Or do you think he's just an average talent?

And if so, why was he drafted in the first round? Was he considered a huge reach where we took him?

Spears' rep in college was that he didn't have always have a great motor. So what I'm saying is hardly some groundbreaking statement.

I didn't say anything about us taking him too high, actually, quite the opposite, we drafted him because he was a star in college but that doesn't mean he's going to be a star in the NFL. It does happen.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

I didn't say anything about us taking him too high, actually, quite the opposite, we drafted him because he was a star in college but that doesn't mean he's going to be a star in the NFL. It does happen.

that is so true thats why the price of the rookie contracts is a lil ridic. I mean if everyone that had success in college would have success in the pros then there would be no need for the word bust.

 

[AdamJT13]

I'd wrather have spears shed the blocker and make the play in the backfield then him being a human shield.

Spears finished second on the team in tackles behind the line of scrimmage behind Ware and third on the team in total stops behind the line (TFL plus sacks) behind Ware and Ellis. Spears' rate of making plays behind the line (based on playing time) was much better than any other defensive lineman on our team.

RATE OF SACKS OR TACKLES FOR LOSS
Spears = 1 every 55.5 snaps
Johnson = 1 every 70.0 snaps
Hatcher = 1 every 73.4 snaps
Canty = 1 every 90.0 snaps
Ratliff = 1 every 101.5 snaps
R.Ayodele = none
Bowen = none

Spears also tied Ellis for second on the team with three forced fumbles, one behind Ware.

 

[TheCount]

Spears finished second on the team in tackles behind the line of scrimmage behind Ware and third on the team in total stops behind the line (TFL plus sacks) behind Ware and Ellis. Spears' rate of making plays behind the line (based on playing time) was much better than any other defensive lineman on our team.

RATE OF SACKS OR TACKLES FOR LOSS
Spears = 1 every 55.5 snaps
Johnson = 1 every 70.0 snaps
Hatcher = 1 every 73.4 snaps
Canty = 1 every 90.0 snaps
Ratliff = 1 every 101.5 snaps
R.Ayodele = none
Bowen = none

Spears also tied Ellis for second on the team with three forced fumbles, one behind Ware.

Spears actually had 2 forced fumbles last year from the numbers I've found, not sure where you found that he had three.

The numbers game always tells the story you want it to tell if you're crafty enough. We could also look at those same numbers and say he was last in solo tackles of ANY starter, finishing with just 3 more than Pat Watkins. He was also last of any starter in assisted tackles.

His 2 forced fumbles brings his career number of forced fumbles to 2, Ware has 12, so let's be careful before we go throwing his name into the same sentence as Ware.

Either way, this "big play" stuff is way overrated in my opinion, I'll take consistency over big play numbers all day.

I'm not one of those guys that just hates on Spears, but he has certainly not been anything special for us.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

wat year are these stats comin from

 

[conner01]

Spears finished second on the team in tackles behind the line of scrimmage behind Ware and third on the team in total stops behind the line (TFL plus sacks) behind Ware and Ellis. Spears' rate of making plays behind the line (based on playing time) was much better than any other defensive lineman on our team.

RATE OF SACKS OR TACKLES FOR LOSS
Spears = 1 every 55.5 snaps
Johnson = 1 every 70.0 snaps
Hatcher = 1 every 73.4 snaps
Canty = 1 every 90.0 snaps
Ratliff = 1 every 101.5 snaps
R.Ayodele = none
Bowen = none

Spears also tied Ellis for second on the team with three forced fumbles, one behind Ware.

please don't let facts get in the way of a good rant. i still think is spears was a 2nd or 3rd rnd pick people would love what he does. too many think about the fact he was a 1st rnd pick and think because of that he should be getting 6 or 7 sacks a season which is totally a silly way to evaluate guys and totally unrealistic to expect that much from a 3/4 de

 

[AdamJT13]

Spears actually had 2 forced fumbles last year from the numbers I've found, not sure where you found that he had three.

The coaches' film review credited Spears with a forced fumble against the Jets that he wasn't credited with during the game.

We could also look at those same numbers and say he was last in solo tackles of ANY starter, finishing with just 3 more than Pat Watkins.

The coaches had Spears with four more solo tackles than Ratliff and the same number of total tackles, even though Ratliff was on the field for 267 more snaps than Spears was.

His 2 forced fumbles brings his career number of forced fumbles to 2

Or three, if you believe the coaches.

Canty, Ratliff and Hatcher have three forced fumbles for their careers -- COMBINED.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

1st round pick the expectations r high he is in boat as carp imo

 

[TheCount]

The coaches' film review credited Spears with a forced fumble against the Jets that he wasn't credited with during the game.



The coaches had Spears with four more solo tackles than Ratliff and the same number of total tackles, even though Ratliff was on the field for 267 more snaps than Spears was.

I don't know where you're seeing coaches film, or what it is other than what it sounds like, but I'll take your word for it, 3 it is.

Or three, if you believe the coaches.

Canty, Ratliff and Hatcher have three forced fumbles for their careers -- COMBINED.

Look at the people you are comparing him to in that sentence, that doesn't say something?

I mean heck, I wouldn't have a problem with resigning the guy when his contract up if the numbers are reasonable, I think he's a decent player, but I just don't think he'll ever be a disruptive force, not all 1st rounders are though.