Putting It On The Line In Seattle: Seahawks In Pursuit of A Pass Rush

Going into the draft, I thought pass rush was possibly the biggest need for the Hawks or at the very least, it was running neck-and-neck with left tackle.

Coming out of the draft, pass rush remains the one need, I feel, that the Hawks haven't adequately addressed this off-season. However, it’s hard to know exactly what it will look like without having familiarity with some of the critical elements of Carroll’s defensive scheme; namely the different positions along the defensive line and the preferred skill sets associated with each.

We’ve heard a lot about the “elephant” defensive end position (known in this system as the “Leo”) which is the DE/LB hybrid who’ll be tasked mainly as an edge-rusher but will occasionally drop back into coverage, yielding somewhat of a 3-4 look at times. This position allows for guys that would normally be considered “tweeners” (i.e. Dexter Davis at 6′1, 244lbs, Nick Reed—6'1, 248lbs) to have more of an impact than they would as a standard “down” defensive end, simply because they have to be accounted for as underneath coverage guys who could drop back and take on tight ends or other receivers. While at the same time, they present a potential quickness advantage over opposing tackles in terms of their ability to beat them around the edge or utilize spins or other lateral moves when starting from a stand-up position.  

If this is the case, and the stand-up position really presents this type of advantage, then why don’t all DE’s start from the standing position?

Bear with me as I break it down.

A prototypical DE in today’s NFL is going to be somewhere between 6′3 and 6′6, and weigh anywhere from 265-285lbs. Starting from a down position allows these taller, bigger DE’s to utilize a combination of speed, quickness, strength and leverage to beat tackles off the edge by knocking them off balance, ripping and bull-rushing to set up a quick spin or edge move to close in on the quarterback. In other words, these guys have more tools to play with. Since, in most cases they probably won’t be as fast or quick as the guy who’s 6′1, 244lbs, they’re able to rely on a combination of other tools like size, strength and power to set up their closing/finesse moves (spins, etc.).

These guys need to be much more physical at the point of attack, and are going to rely heavily on their size and strength. Starting from a down position allows them to use their size and leverage to get a push on the opposing tackle and set up their other moves. If they were to start from a stand, many of them don’t possess the pure speed or quickness to simply “outrun” or get around the tackle, so getting a leverage advantage off the line becomes a key necessity to a successful pass-rush.

The smaller, tweener guys like Davis, Clemons and Reed aren’t going to overpower many NFL tackles with their size, strength or bull rush, however, they’re fast and quick enough to get a better initial burst off the line and beat tackles off the edge, as long as they can avoid being blown off the line at the initial point of attack. They present a different type of match-up for the tackle and can cause a lot of problems for those tackles who rely more on their strength than quickness in pass protection.

On the flipside, there are those O-tackles who possess a very quick slide-step, good balance and foot speed but may be susceptible to the bull-rush, in which case you’d want to mix up the pass-rush with looks that would include the bigger, more powerful ends like an E.J. Wilson or Red Bryant.

So, the stand-up ends are more one-dimensional in that they’re trying to simply beat the tackle to the edge with their speed, then utilize quickness to change direction, spin back to the inside or step around the tackle.

Another way of explaining it could be that the smaller, faster ends are avoiding initial contact by trying to blow past the tackle and get into position for a closing move, while the bigger, prototypical ends want to establish a contact advantage off the line, setting up their other moves. So, one type of end avoids contact, the other initiates and relies on it.

You’re not going to see the “Leo” on every play, however, it will present a different look that will be sure to keep O-lines guessing and constantly adjusting to the speed and strength differentials of the different D-ends that rotate in. Therefore, it could be a highly effective “change-of-pace” package.

As for the disadvantages that the “Leo” will present, you could have a considerable drop-off in front-four run-support with this package, simply because the smaller end could get washed out pretty easily by the bigger, stronger tackle who gets a leverage advantage and engages physically off the line in run blocking. Your second level of defense (linebackers and secondary) will be heavily relied upon for run support on that side of the line.

Let’s look at current personnel on the d-line and break down the roles, as well as project who the starters may be at each position.

First for the inside guys:

DT’s:
Brandon Mebane
Colin Cole
Kevin Vickerson
Craig Terril

Defensive  Ends:
Lawrence Jackson
E.J. Wilson
Chris Clemons
Red Bryant
Dexter Davis
Rickey Foley
Robert Henderson
Nick Reed
Rob Rose

Now for the battles.

DT Battle:

From the interior, I don’t see a whole lot changing in terms of the starters. Barring injury, I’d be surprised to see anyone other than Colin Cole and Brandon Mebane in as the starting DT’s, although the competition at the 1-technique could be an interesting one to watch during camp, with Vickerson now in the mix to push Cole.

Cole is effective against the run, and Mebane should have a better year at the 3-technique where he was moved last year, as long as the outside rush is stronger.

I will say that if the new staff took a vote on any Ruskell deal that they could go back and erase, I would bet that the Colin Cole signing would be among the nominees.

The fact is, Mebane was simply a better 1-tech run-stuffer than he is a 3-tech pass-rusher. The problem is, if you move Mebane back to the 1-tech, you really have nobody to play the 3-tech, so he's still the best option there right now.  

Sure, you could have taken a shot and drafted a potential 3-tech replacement and moved Mebane back to the 1-tech with Cole rotating in from time to time, however, once Gerald McCoy was scooped up by Tampa, the remaining pool of 3-tech linemen in the draft wasn't tremendously rich, so options were limited.

Kevin Vickerson gives you some mammoth size on the inside at 6′5, 325lbs, and should be the 3rd DT rotating in to spell Cole. Craig Terril has made a pretty decent career for himself as an interior pass-rusher, and he’ll certainly compete for the same type of role this year, backing up Mebane.

It's probably also worth noting that guys like E.J. Wilson, Lawrence Jackson and Red Bryant have the size and ability to rotate inside as well, so they could also constitute as “depth” at the tackle positions. In fact, despite the recent hype, I don’t know that Bryant should be strictly considered an end just yet. He still has some weight to lose and a few battles to win in camp before that can officially happen, I would think.

Speaking of defensive end, both edges are completely up for grabs and the competition here should go right down to the final week of camp. Lawrence Jackson is by no means a shoe-in at the 5-Tech spot, and Chris Clemons will have to fight hard to maintain starter status at the rush end position.

The DE battles should go as so:

DE Battle #1: Left End (5-technique, run stopper)

Lo-Jack vs. Red Bryant vs. E.J. Wilson

Lawrence Jackson has been a bit of a puzzle to a lot of people, however, not so much to me (did that sound arrogant?).

Well, I should say that it wasn’t a puzzle to me once I had a good year or so to watch him get off the line and engage with NFL tackles. He’s not athletic enough to be a rush end, but he also lacks the explosiveness and power to be a bull-rush end who provides significant, consistent impact as a pass-rusher.

Simply put, he won’t be a double-digit sack guy or every-down rush end the way he’s built now, but if he’s matched up on right tackles, you may get five to seven sacks out of him consistently, and he’ll give you decent run support on that left side. He’s actually pretty active at the line and was one of the Hawks' more consistent run-stoppers last year.

The reason he’s taken such criticism is because he was brought in to do something that he doesn’t really have the skill set to do…rack up a lot of sacks. As long as fans know what they’re getting with Lo-Jack, they shouldn’t be too disappointed.

E.J. Wilson will compete right away for a starting position. He’s got incredible lower-body power, gets really good leverage and has the ability to drive and throw linemen off balance, clearing the way for him to make plays against the run. He won’t be a big time sack guy either, simply because he doesn’t have the speed, and it’s not really the nature of his game, however, if and when he does get around the edge, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how quickly he can close and finish on the QB. He’s much different than Lo-Jack in terms of his power and strength, so don’t be surprised if he ends up sharing considerable time at the position, even if he isn’t the starter right away.

Red Bryant has been the talk of the town lately since getting a few reps as an end during mini-camp. The thing about Red that makes him intriguing here, is that he’s got the quickness to be an end but the size to be a prototypical tackle.

Over the course of his first two seasons, Bryant has struggled to get the leverage needed to make a significant impact on the interior, so taking him outside could better suit his skill-set and physical tools. The challenge for him will be keeping his weight down to a level that allows him to maximize his athleticism and display the quickness necessary to be effective against NFL tackles. Should be fun to watch during camp.

Rob Rose is a long-shot UFA from Ohio State, however, if he were to put on a Michael Bennett-like audition during camp, I wouldn’t consider it out of the realms of possibility that he compete for a final-53 spot. There’s always “that guy” in camp who goes undrafted, then ends up pushing for a legitimate roster spot (Michael Bennett & Derek Walker last year; David Hawthorne, Leonard Weaver, Michael Bumpus), and it will be interesting to see if a guy like Rose could push for a spot. Then again, he may be gone by the 2nd week of preseason, so take that for what it's worth.

I haven't seen a ton of film on the guy, so any analysis on his skill set would be a pure guess at this point, and I really hate it when other people do that, so I'll decline the opportunity here. I will say that at 290lbs, he could be intriguing in that he may get reps on the inside much like Bennett did last year.

DE Battle #2 Right End (rush end, "Elephant", “Leo”)

Chris Clemons, Nick Reed, Dexter Davis, Ricky Foley

Clemons comes over from Philly after a couple of stints with the Redskins, a stop in Cleveland for a sandwich on the Practice Squad, and a year in Oakland which was his best, when he put up eight sacks as a situational pass-rusher. He disappointed Philly fans with his dwindling sack totals in recent years, so it will be interesting to see if he can return to the form he displayed in Oakland and win a starting spot here.

Clemons will be competing with Nick Reed, who quickly became a fan favorite last year after a stellar preseason pass-rush showing. During the regular season last year, Reed was used situational pass-rusher, platooning mostly with Kerney on the right side, and although he struggled against the bigger starting left tackles in the league, he showed flashes of adequate speed and quickness for the position. It will be interesting to see if he’s made any technical adjustments or added muscle. He had a tendency to engage with O-linemen a little early, getting swallowed up quickly and washed out of plays, so he’ll need to show more of a craftiness and better repertoire of moves that will get him around the tackles.

Dexter Davis left an impression with Pete Carroll last year when he gave Charles Brown fits during the USC-ASU game. He’s got good burst off the line and speed to beat tackles to the edge. He defends the run well for his size, is a good tackler, and as a pass-rusher, displays an ability to draw the O-tackle out wide in pass protection, then spin back to the inside and close quickly on the QB. He should also be factored right into the mix here and like Reed last year, could make a push for some significant playing time during the regular season. He’s the smallest of the group here, so he’ll need to display the speed, quickness and good pass-rush moves to offset the size issues.

Foley, who's pro experience thus far has been limited to the CFL (led the CFL in sacks last year, is an intriguing possibility simply because he possesses the speed and skill-set to man the "Leo". I just don't know how many 28-year-old, non-NFL veteran guys that Schneider and Carroll are looking to add in a rebuilding effort.  That said, they've made it clear that any job is up for grabs and available to those who will compete the hardest, so nothing is out of the realms of possibility here.

I expect the Hawks to keep somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 DT’s and 5 DE’s , with a final D-Line unit that looks something like this:

Scenario #1

DT:  Mebane, Cole, Vickerson, Terril

DE:  Bryant, Jackson, Wilson, Clemons, Davis

Scenario #2 

DT:  Mebane, Cole, Vickerson

DE/DT:  Bryant, Wilson

DE:  Jackson, Reed, Clemons, Davis

In scenario #2, you’ve got the versatility of Wilson and Bryant allowing you to play them either inside or outside, eliminating the need for a guy like Craig Terril and leaving an extra spot open at the "Leo" for Reed, Davis or Foley. 

The two glaring weaknesses on the D-line, to me, are the lack of a clear starter at the "Leo" position, and the lack of a true, proven 3-technique inside rusher.

As emphasized earlier, I really think Mebane would be better suited as a 1-tech, but he’s simply the best option at the 3, and Cole is adequate at the 1-tech, so you have to go with your best guy at each spot.

However, there's always the chance that Mebane improves considerably at the 3-tech this year, as long as there is a legitimate pass-rush threat on the outside, drawing occasional double teams and allowing him more one-on-one opportunities on the inside.

As for the "Leo", it’s completely up for grabs with no established, consistent pass-rush threat currently on the roster. If Clemons stays healthy, I think he’ll begin the season as the starter, but unless he lights it up, expect to see plenty of Reed and Davis in the mix as well.

For more Seahawks analysis and discussion with Derek Stephens, visit The Blue Bird Herd .