Where should Crawford play?

[Crown Royal]

He's a DT, IMO. He's extremely good. He reminds me a bit of Spencer in the sense that he would play well early on, but could not quite finish plays. But, Crawford is getting much more penetration than Spencer was early on in his career. And I don't see why we can't move him around a little. It would give us some versatility as to what D-Line lineups we have. We could have Spencer play 3-tech or 1-tech, have Melton to the opposite of him and have our 2 best pass rushing DE's. Then we could move Crawford to SDE, insert McClain and Melton at DT with Lawrence at RDE.




YR

I agree with this. I'd also like to see both Crawford & melton next to each other inside on obvious passing downs. I'm very happy with our interior pass rush. I'm very meh on our interior run defense, and very unhappy with our edge pressure, especially on the strong side.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I agree with this. I'd also like to see both Crawford & melton next to each other inside on obvious passing downs. I'm very happy with our interior pass rush. I'm very meh on our interior run defense, and very unhappy with our edge pressure, especially on the strong side.

Our DE's are not much to write home about. Although the DE position in the 4-3 has changed. There is a bit less emphasis on getting upfield and more emphasis on essentially going upfield and then turning around and hustling to help tackle the receiver because there is so many short passes outside the hashmarks and near the numbers. Selvie is who he is, a former 7th round pick that is a decent backup that hustles. Spencer doesn't have much tread left on the tire and we don't know what we have with Lawrence.

I would just like to see a more consistent pass rush from all 4 guys. Often times one player gets good pressure, but the other 3 are nowhere to be found.





YR

 

[xwalker]

Our DE's are not much to write home about. Although the DE position in the 4-3 has changed. There is a bit less emphasis on getting upfield and more emphasis on essentially going upfield and then turning around and hustling to help tackle the receiver because there is so many short passes outside the hashmarks and near the numbers. Selvie is who he is, a former 7th round pick that is a decent backup that hustles. Spencer doesn't have much tread left on the tire and we don't know what we have with Lawrence.

I would just like to see a more consistent pass rush from all 4 guys. Often times one player gets good pressure, but the other 3 are nowhere to be found.
YR

Some of that seems to be the style that Marinelli coaches. The DEs are usually going directly towards the QB in more or less of a straight line as opposed to the D-Ware style of bending the corner and approaching the QB from the back-side. This seems to result in less plays where the DE has zero impact because he was just easily pushed wide of the pocket, but less sacks because the QB can see the DE coming at them.

D-Law tended to play this style in college much more than a lot of just pure speed rushers. I call it power rushing. It's not bull rushing, but it's using a combo of power and speed with a lot of hand fighting technique involved. It's more like the style a pass rushing DT would use and less like the style that a pass rushing OLB in a 3-4 would use.

 

[xwalker]

I agree with this. I'd also like to see both Crawford & melton next to each other inside on obvious passing downs. I'm very happy with our interior pass rush. I'm very meh on our interior run defense, and very unhappy with our edge pressure, especially on the strong side.

Melton and Crawford do play side by side in passing situations. It's not always them together, but it does happen frequently.

 

[BlindFaith]

Maybe you're right. I'd just prefer to play to a guy's natural strengths than try to coach him up to play elsewhere.

You mean like him playing defensive end his entire college career and then moving him to defensive tackle? Or are you saying that a 6'4" 280 lb guy should be naturally playing as a defensive tackle, even though he's never played there before?

Hey, you could put Ro Mac at defensive tackle too. I'd bet he'd blow by guards. And he could probably hold his own for a few games. But the wear and tear on him would kill him long term. Why? Because he physically wouldn't be able to hold up. Why? Because he doesn't have the frame to be that guy.

The average weight of a defensive tackle at the NFL combine is 304 pounds. And I'm sure the average weight gain is at least 5-10 lbs. Crawford is about 25 lbs lighter than that and probably won't be adding much more to his frame.

 

[Zman5]

This is total rubbish. It's so much rubbish it's laughable. You must just be comparing stats btw both players because if you actually watched the game there's no possible way you'd say Crawford this season at DE wasn't even good as Selvie last year. lol

Did you watch him play or are you just his number one fanboy?Crawford at DE has one rush move. And it wasn't working.

 

[21Savage]

Did you watch him play or are you just his number one fanboy?Crawford at DE has one rush move. And it wasn't working.

Yes, I did. Try the same and get back to me. Try the Tennessee game if you may.

 

[xwalker]

You mean like him playing defensive end his entire college career and then moving him to defensive tackle? Or are you saying that a 6'4" 280 lb guy should be naturally playing as a defensive tackle, even though he's never played there before?

Hey, you could put Ro Mac at defensive tackle too. I'd bet he'd blow by guards. And he could probably hold his own for a few games. But the wear and tear on him would kill him long term. Why? Because he physically wouldn't be able to hold up. Why? Because he doesn't have the frame to be that guy.

The average weight of a defensive tackle at the NFL combine is 304 pounds. And I'm sure the average weight gain is at least 5-10 lbs. Crawford is about 25 lbs lighter than that and probably won't be adding much more to his frame.

Crawford was up to 290 his rookie year while playing as a 3-4 DE. He got his weight down this year to play as a 4-3 DE.

 

[Zman5]

Yes, I did. Try the same and get back to me. Try the Tennessee game if you may.

Watch both Selvie from last year and Crawford this year without your fanboy sunglasses on and get back to me.

 

[RamziD]

I was perusing the 2015 free agent class, and one guy who would fit in nicely on this team (if Buffalo doesn't re-sign him) is LDE Jerry Hughes. He had 10 sacks last year playing that spot, and 5.5 through 8 games this year. Would be a nice FA pickup and would give us more flexibility in the draft.

 

[Crown Royal]

You mean like him playing defensive end his entire college career and then moving him to defensive tackle? Or are you saying that a 6'4" 280 lb guy should be naturally playing as a defensive tackle, even though he's never played there before?

Hey, you could put Ro Mac at defensive tackle too. I'd bet he'd blow by guards. And he could probably hold his own for a few games. But the wear and tear on him would kill him long term. Why? Because he physically wouldn't be able to hold up. Why? Because he doesn't have the frame to be that guy.

The average weight of a defensive tackle at the NFL combine is 304 pounds. And I'm sure the average weight gain is at least 5-10 lbs. Crawford is about 25 lbs lighter than that and probably won't be adding much more to his frame.

I'm saying he has been more effective at DT by a good amount. He was good at holding the point as LDE, but he could not generate as much pressure as he seems to be able to do at DT in the nfl.

What he played in college is irrelevant, as evidenced by Henry Melton.

 

[Idgit]

You'll regret saying that when he gets his first sack.

This guy is special.

Hits bottom, keeps digging.

You're gonna need a bigger shovel.

And Crawford's best position is the 3 tech. Though, if Melton keeps hitting his stride and as we work Brent and Lawrence back in, we'll likely be rotating all of the DLs a bit more.

 

[btcutter]

As to the OP, Crawford is a better run playing 3 tech right now and better overall player than at DE. Melton while very good as a pass rusher is still struggling as a run player on the inside. He's also more nimble than Crawford is to the point where over the last couple of games, him rusher over the RT has been better than what Crawford did.

So even with Crawford out for this next game, I think you might see us start with Mcclain as the 3 tech and have Melton mainly come in on rushing downs.

And don't worry about the starting 4 so much. This team would pay two 3 techs in a rotation before they pay a starting 1 tech. The snap counts at the end of the game are what matter more.

Brodus showed a few clips of Crawford and it was pretty impressive. I agree he is better than Melton as a run DT. But I also think we don't give him enough credit on pass rushing. Melton may have the sack numbers but Crawford is not only disruptive himself but often he frees up other players to get pressure (Clips shown at dallascowboys.com). I think he is a natural 3 technique. Maybe wise to lock him up long term on the cheap now than keep waiting. To me you must have Crawford long term (good bang for your buck). Melton is a luxury that we love to have.

 

[Crown Royal]

Hits bottom, keeps digging.

You're gonna need a bigger shovel.

And Crawford's best position is the 3 tech. Though, if Melton keeps hitting his stride and as we work Brent and Lawrence back in, we'll likely be rotating all of the DLs a bit more.

The leaders in sack numbers thus far are Minnesota, Kansas City, Buffalo and Jacksonville. Clearly sack count and winning percentage are related.

 

[Crown Royal]

Not to mention Arizona is 31 on the sack count

 

[xwalker]

I was perusing the 2015 free agent class, and one guy who would fit in nicely on this team (if Buffalo doesn't re-sign him) is LDE Jerry Hughes. He had 10 sacks last year playing that spot, and 5.5 through 8 games this year. Would be a nice FA pickup and would give us more flexibility in the draft.

Good idea. Probably a lot more realistic than Greg Hardy.

 

[xwalker]

Brodus showed a few clips of Crawford and it was pretty impressive. I agree he is better than Melton as a run DT. But I also think we don't give him enough credit on pass rushing. Melton may have the sack numbers but Crawford is not only disruptive himself but often he frees up other players to get pressure (Clips shown at dallascowboys.com). I think he is a natural 3 technique. Maybe wise to lock him up long term on the cheap now than keep waiting. To me you must have Crawford long term (good bang for your buck). Melton is a luxury that we love to have.

Despite no sacks, T. Crawford has been better at both run defense and pass rushing in most games this season as compared to Melton.

Bob Sturm has something he tracks called splash plays and he has T. Crawford with the most splash plays of anybody on defense.

 

[Macnalty]

You'll regret saying that when he gets his first sack.

This guy is special.

I agree he is on the special path lets hope it leads to what we hope he can be. Not even worried about his first sack... probably come in bunches when it starts.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Okay. It was just a question. You guys have convinced me that he'd be best kept at DT. Now, it brings me back to my original point, I think SDE is going to be a major hole next year. I don't see any rookie stepping in and immediately producing. We'll have to hit free agency hard it seems.

 

[neosapien23]

If Melton can reestablish himself as a pro bowl level DT(which he seems well on his way to doing), I think Maranelli should move Crawford to strong side DE. The trick to all this well be Davon Coleman. I really liked what I saw out of him earlier in they year. He needs to show who he is while Crawford is out. I think Crawford would get much more pressure than Mincey, Selvie, and Spencer from the strong side DE position. I think Spencer is still struggling to get healthy and will not reach optimal performance until next year. If Coleman can prove he would bring more pressure as a DT than those three would from the DE positions than maybe he would allow the coaching staff to move Crawford. Melton is reestablishing himself but the backup has to give quality reps. I think Crawford while on his way to becoming a quality three tech in the future would best be used on the strong side this year. If Melton is not retained, he can simply put on 10 lbs in the offseason and be moved back. Right now I think the best group of starters would be Lawrence, Brent, Melton, and Crawford. Of course, it will be towards the end of the year as Lawrence and Brent round into shape. Hayden, Selvie, Mincey, and Coleman would be the best of the backups. I think Spencer should be inactive as he as not done much and might not be better till the end of the year. McClain has been a waste and only flashed one game. He is worse than Hayden. It would be great if Okoye could take the backup one tech job from Hayden in this scenario, but he looks very sloppy and out of shape. In his earlier pics he was completely ripped despite being over 300 lbs and probably needs the rest of the year to get back into shape. Unlike Brent, he was a physical speciman.