Zach Allen DE Boston College

[BryanBusby]

Ford really isn't a prototypical LEO and is more of just a pass-rushing specialist.

Spags isn't going to want a bunch of stiffs playing at DE.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Ford really isn't a prototypical LEO and is more of just a pass-rushing specialist.

Spags isn't going to want a bunch of stiffs playing at DE.

Of course not.

That doesn't mean you have to have speed rush guys at DE end though.

Power guys are fine too, and if your emphasis is:

THOU SHALT NOT RUN THE BALL

Then power rush guys are fine. You can cross and stunt blitz A and B gaps and move guys around to create rush opportunities just like New England did against us and like the Giants did under Spagnuolo.

I think we've had a few years of scheme making guys look worse than their talent level. I also think we might get a few years of a scheme making guys look BETTER.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Of course not.

That doesn't mean you have to have speed rush guys at DE end though.

Power guys are fine too, and if your emphasis is:

THOU SHALT NOT RUN THE BALL

Then power rush guys are fine. You can cross and stunt blitz A and B gaps and move guys around to create rush opportunities just like New England did against us and like the Giants did under Spagnuolo.

I think we've had a few years of scheme making guys look worse than their talent level. I also think we might get a few years of a scheme making guys look BETTER.

Well yeah, but you're not going to have the best success doing all that with a Speaks and Allen duo.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Well yeah, but you're not going to have the best success doing all that with a Speaks and Allen duo.

Except that you might well.

I don't think it's fair at all to assess Speaks' potential as a 4-3 end based on a season of playing 3-4 OLB in Sutton's scheme in which he was actually used in coverage of all things.

And if you look at Allen's tape, he's a well rounded player. I would say he's a bigger Trey Flowers as a comparison. Not a slower Flowers, just a bigger Flowers. And Flowers NOW, not the mid-round draft pick developmental Flowers. I see an 8-9 sack guy that's a plus run defender with no real hole in his game. I think you can absolutely win with a guy like that.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Except that you might well.

I don't think it's fair at all to assess Speaks' potential as a 4-3 end based on a season of playing 3-4 OLB in Sutton's scheme in which he was actually used in coverage of all things.

And if you look at Allen's tape, he's a well rounded player. I would say he's a bigger Trey Flowers as a comparison. Not a slower Flowers, just a bigger Flowers. And Flowers NOW, not the mid-round draft pick developmental Flowers. I see an 8-9 sack guy that's a plus run defender with no real hole in his game. I think you can absolutely win with a guy like that.

I don't see 8-9 sacks. He'a more Solomon Thomas than Flowers.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

I don't see 8-9 sacks. He'a more Solomon Thomas than Flowers.

Oh. I don't think so at all. I think he's much better.