Stock Up, Stock Down for NFL Defenses in 2015

Although we are basically one month away from the starting of training camp, all 32 NFL teams are starting to round into form roster-wise.

The process of acquiring talent is nearly finished, although there will be some tweaking along the way.

So we have assembled a total of 10 teams, conveniently broken down into two categories of five clubs apiece, in which we feel the defense is headed in the right direction or destined for a bit of a fall this upcoming season (which is rapidly approaching).

Please keep in mind that we are not necessarily predicting big things for those units on the rise or forecasting utter doom for the five squads headed for a bit of a fall. We are simply pointing where we feel these defenses are headed this season at the moment.

So take a look and chime in with your own thoughts. You could put all 32 teams on this list and try to pick which direction they may be headed. Here we look at the clubs that stand out the most, be it for good reasons or bad.

Stock Up: Miami Dolphins

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): 12th

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Coyle

Two of the happiest players in the National Football League these days are Miami Dolphins defensive ends Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon.

Should we count the reasons why?

The Dolphins broke the bank this offseason to add four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who should aid Wake’s and Vernon’s attempts to get to opposing quarterbacks. More significantly, Suh as well as former Detroit Lions linemate C.J. Mosley should help Miami’s cause when it comes to stopping the run.

Joe Philbin’s club has finished 24th in the NFL in rushing defense in each of the past two seasons. In their final six games in 2014, the Dolphins gave up a disappointing 165.3 yards per game on the ground.

General manager Dennis Hickey also used a second-round pick on defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to bolster the defensive front. This figures to be a fearsome defensive unit that takes the field in September.

Stock Down: Detroit Lions

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): Second

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Teryl Austin

Simply put, you can’t lose a player the caliber of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and not expect some sort of repercussions. But it’s more than that when it comes to the Detroit Lions.

In 2014, the team ranked second overall in the NFL in total yards allowed and third in points surrendered. The Lions were also the stingiest club when it came to rushing defense.

Yes, the team did trade for five-time Pro Bowler Haloti Ngata, and you can expect him to be solid. Detroit also added defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker in free agency, and the cupboard is hardly bare thanks to the likes of defensive ends Jason Jones and Ziggy Ansah, linebackers Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy, and defensive backs Glover Quin and Rashean Mathis.

Up front, the Lions not only lost Suh but savvy veteran defensive tackle C.J. Mosley and opted to trade defensive end George Johnson, who finished third on the team with six sacks in 2014. And 2011 first-round pick Nick Fairley is now a member of the St. Louis Rams.

Similar to the New England Patriots at cornerback, that’s an awful lot of transition at one position. It will be interesting to see what the aftereffects will be.

Stock Up: Tennessee Titans

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): 27th

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Ray Horton

Back in 2012, the Tennessee Titans gave up a disturbing 471 points, not only the most in the NFL that year but the most in the history of the franchise. That dates back to 1960 when the team was known as the Houston Oilers.

This past season, the team did its best to top that dubious mark. In the first season under head coach Ken Whisenhunt and defensive coordinator Ray Horton, the Titans allowed 438 points and a total of 45 offensive touchdowns.

Enter sage Dick LeBeau, who hopes to help Horton get the most out of a new-look group that has added several key parts in former Pro Bowl outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (Washington Redskins), cornerback Perrish Cox (San Francisco 49ers) and emerging free safety Da’Norris Searcy (Buffalo Bills). In addition, defensive tackles Jurrell Casey (five) and improving outside linebacker Derrick Morgan (6.5) combined for 11.5 sacks in 2014.

As for Orakpo, who missed considerable time in two of his last three seasons with the Washington Redskins, he tells Terry McCormick of 247Sports  that he's anxious to get back to work. The six-year veteran is still on the mend recovering from a torn pectoral muscle that cost him the final nine games of 2014.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Orakpo earlier this week. "I know I've been doing the individual drills, the walkthroughs and the pass-rush stuff, but I kind of look forward to doing all the team stuff and getting back to doing football, being myself and getting all the kinks and the rust out and getting back to doing my thing."

The three-time Pro Bowler also spoke glowingly about LeBeau.

"

All expectations are there. He's been doing a phenomenal job just working the defense and getting everybody acclimated and getting everybody in the right position. If a guy is in an awkward position or doing something wrong, he will literally stop the play to get the guy corrected to let him know what he's doing wrong, where he needs to be and then he can play full speed. I'm excited just to have him on board. He's the innovator of this defense, and we want to make sure we execute it to a T.

"

Look for a bit of a different attitude from the Titans defense this upcoming season.

Stock Down: New England Patriots

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): 13th

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Matt Patricia

It stands to logic that given the team’s offseason departures on this side of the football, the New England Patriots figure to slump a bit when it comes to their defense.

And who are we to ignore logic…to a point.

Since the team rallied for a 28-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, the Pats have lost cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork to free agency (with the opportunity to pick up the option on each player) and released cornerbacks Alfonzo Dennard and Kyle Arrington. All five players have found new homes.

The secondary now includes free-agent additions such as Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Derek Cox, while 2015 first-round pick Malcom Brown hopes to fill the cleats of Wilfork up front...maybe.

"I’m not here to replace anybody," said Brown to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald on Thursday. "Vince was a great player, and obviously everybody sees that. But I’m not here to replace anybody, and whatever role the coaches give me, I’m going to take that role and play my best at it."

In the early stages of the season, expect growing pains from the New England defense that for the team’s sake hopefully don’t last long.

Given Bill Belichick’s history in Foxborough, those pains may only be short-lived cramps.

Stock Up: Chicago Bears

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): 30th

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Vic Fangio

This team has the classic “there’s nowhere to go but up” feel to it, and who are we to ignore that?

Over the past two seasons, the Chicago Bears have allowed a combined 93 offensive touchdowns as well as 920 points (28.8 points per game).

Longtime followers of the “Monsters of the Midway” will see their team in the 3-4 under Fangio, whose work with the San Francisco 49ers in recent years speaks for itself. The club is counting on 2014 rookie defensive linemen Will Sutton and Ego Ferguson to team with veteran Jeremiah Ratliff to secure the three-man front.

Free-agent pickups Pernell McPhee (Baltimore Ravens) and Mason Foster (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) are the new faces at linebacker, although the same could be said for Jared Allen, Willie Young and Lamar Houston, who will all make the conversion from defensive end.

The secondary now includes savvy veterans such as strong safety Antrel Rolle, who should bring a little attitude to this unit, as well as cornerback Tracy Porter.

In each of the last two seasons, the Bears have allowed the third-most total yards in the NFL. Expect that mini-streak to come to an end this upcoming season.

Stock Down: Pittsburgh Steelers

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): 18th

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Keith Butler

For many, it will be odd to see the Pittsburgh Steelers defense without some of its many long-standing figures this fall. Heralded strong safety Troy Polamalu and veteran cornerback Ike Taylor have retired, and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is now a member of the Tennessee Titans staff.

Former linebackers coach Keith Butler has been waiting in the wings for a few years, and the transition under head coach Mike Tomlin figures to be seamless…at least when it comes to scheme.

However, the bottom line is that this once-formidable unit has produced few big plays as of late. The Steelers have totaled only 76 takeaways in 64 regular-season games dating back to 2011. In 2010, the team forced 35 turnovers on its way to an appearance in Super Bowl XLV.

Over the last four seasons, a once-fearsome pass rush has amassed just 139 sacks. From 2008 to 2010, the black and gold totaled an imposing 146 sacks and made a pair of Super Bowl appearances.

Yes, this offseason the team added yet another linebacker in the first round. Alvin “Bud” Dupree joins Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier as recent additions to the club. General manager Kevin Colbert used six of his eight draft choices this year on the defensive side of the ball, including cornerbacks Senquez Golson and Doran Grant.

Still, you get the feeling that this unit is very much in transition, which could make for tough times in the always formidable AFC North.

Stock Up: Washington Redskins

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): 20th

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Joe Barry

While seemingly all of the emphasis on the struggles of the Washington Redskins in recent seasons has fallen on the shoulder (and legs) of Robert Griffin III, the 11-plus performers on the defensive side have managed to escape the wrath of critics.

However, the facts are the fact. Under Jim Haslett, the defense never really hit its stride, and over the past two seasons alone the ‘Skins have given up a total of 98 offensive touchdowns in 32 games and permitted a less-than-healthy 28.6 points per contest.

New general manager Scot McCloughan fortified the defensive front by adding a quartet of veteran free agents in Stephen Paea, Terrance Knighton, Ricky Jean-Francois and Jerrell Powe. Three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Brian Orakpo has moved on, and 2014 second-round pick Trent Murphy slides into his spot and teams with Ryan Kerrigan. The team traded for free safety Dashon Goldson, but its best offseason pickup may be cornerback Chris Culliver, late of the San Francisco 49ers.

You get the sense things are looking up for the Redskins defense this year. How far up may prove to be the real question.

Stock Down: San Diego Chargers

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): Ninth

2015 Defensive Coordinator: John Pagano

Hey, sometimes the numbers actually do lie just a little.

When it came to the San Diego Chargers defense in 2014, there was a little fibbing going on. Mike McCoy’s squad actually finished ninth in the NFL in total defense, and only three clubs gave up fewer yards through the air.

However, the Bolts were substandard when it came to stopping the run. Only six teams in the league allowed more yards per game on the ground. Add in a subpar pass rush (26 sacks) and an inability to create big plays (18 takeaways), and no wonder the team gave up 35 offensive touchdowns (24 through the air) and allowed just as many points (348) as they scored in 2014.

The team’s offseason additions include free agents such as safety Jimmy Wilson, cornerback Patrick Robinson and defensive tackle Mitch Unrein. But the Chargers’ aspirations of improvement may depend on the play of rookies such as inside linebacker Denzel Perryman and cornerback Craig Mager.

This defense has its share of standouts, in particular free safety Eric Weddle and veteran cornerback Brandon Flowers. But the game-changing plays haven’t come in recent years (35 takeaways since 2013), and there’s no reason to think that will suddenly change this year.

Stock Up: Houston Texans

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): 16th

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Romeo Crennel

Follow this logic for a second.

In 2013, the Houston Texans ranked seventh in the NFL in yards allowed and one season later dropped to 16th in the league in the same category. Regardless, this unit was better this past season than the last because of the fact that it was able to create big plays.

After forcing an NFL-low 11 turnovers, the Texans totaled a league-high 34 takeaways with the help of defensive end J.J. Watt (the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons), outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph, A.J. Bouye and Kareem Jackson.

This offseason, Houston added free-agent safeties Stevie Brown and Rahim Moore and used its first two draft choices on cornerback Kevin Johnson (Wake Forest) and outside linebacker Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State). And after basically a lost year as a rookie, everyone is anxious to see what 2014 first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney can do.

It’s safe to say that Romeo Crennel has a lot of new toys to play with. And the biggest may be defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who comes to Houston from New England and hopes to help the Texans improve a run defense that finished 10th in the NFL in 2014.

Stock Down: San Francisco 49ers

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

2014 NFL Rank (Yards Allowed): Fifth

2015 Defensive Coordinator: Eric Mangini

Despite all the injuries, issues and the politics of 2014, the San Francisco 49ers managed to finish with just eight wins but still fielded one of the better defenses in the NFL.

You don’t get that same sense heading into 2015. Some may automatically point to the offseason retirements of inside linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland and veteran defensive tackle Justin Smith and assume this unit may be in for a fall.

But those departures are far from the only reasons this defense could take a dip this upcoming year. Let’s not forget that cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox are now members of the Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans, respectively.

The Niners are hoping for some big things from first-round pick Arik Armstead, while free-agent pickup Darnell Dockett (who missed all of 2014 with a knee injury) slides into Smith’s defensive tackle spot. There’s promising second-year outside linebacker Aaron Lynch, plus keep an eye on rookie Eli Harold, a third-round pick from Virginia.

We are not forecasting a long year for the San Francisco defense. But this group will have its share of ups and uncharacteristic downs.