RiverDog wrote:I agree, there were several factors in our lack of QB pressure. It's been a problem for some time. But the root cause starts with the defensive line. We simply don't have the talent and haven't for some time.
As I've mentioned earlier, I've subscribed to PFF, and since we're on the topic, I took the time to do a little research on our defense, in particular, the defensive line. PFF has our defensive line ranked 30th out of 32 teams. Here's what they had to say about our DL:
30. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
During the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Seahawks had a chance to bolster their defensive line but elected to pick cornerback Devon Witherspoon instead.
While that represents an improvement for the Seattle secondary, the defensive line remains in a relatively poor position. Although the Seahawks have seven defensive linemen who played at least 250 snaps last season, only one of them ranked in the top 60 at his position in PFF grade.
Edge defender Uchenna Nwosu was easily the best player on the Seattle defensive line, as he picked up a PFF grade of 72.6 last season.
I'm not one to be critical of not taking a DL with our #5 overall. The best one available at the time was Jalen Carter, and for reasons we discussed to great length earlier, IMO we made the right decision to pass on him. I'm quite satisfied with the Witherspoon pick. But unless one of the newbies can rise to the occasion, we still have a big weak spot on the DL.
tarlhawk wrote:I allowed my PFF subscription to lapse just before the draft...I haven't been as impressed as much as curious when I paid up last year (and the one thing I liked using-the mock draft simulator...is free anyways so I bailed. The real problem with our current D-line is that the youth doesn't normally get enough meaningful snaps to impact any stat line as an individual but our edge defender group has an interesting current pairing of Uchenna and Darryl with a future pairing of Boye and Derick for a combined decent rotation that isn't quite on anyone's radar for speculation.
BT Jordan carries some respect outside of our own team who just hired him this year as our Pass Rush Specialist Coach...coaches often fly under the radar of those outside the team. Karl Scott has impressed already since we hired him last year to coach our secondary. Good young talent coming in...good coaching to nudge the best in their development. Witherspoon is noted for his sticky man coverage in addition to a very physical nature...sometimes such a corner can impact a D-line better than an individual D-line stud.
Part of me wanted Jalen Carter and the Eagles really benefited from his falling to them...but then I reasoned Jalen would have most impact at the 3T spot as a pass rusher and we already doled out good money to fill that 3T spot with Dre'Mont Jones...You don't pay that kind of money for a "rotation" guy...Jones is expected and no doubt wants to be the every down game wrecker we are hoping he'll become...so Spoon makes more sense in that perspective. The return of Wags even for a year will also impact our ability to get our run defense at least back to an even keel. Go Hawks
This is the first time I've subscribed to PFF. I see it used all the time, on television broadcasts, commentary, etc., and I've heard that even teams will refer to them. They're pretty much the gold standard when it comes to evaluation and rankings of teams and players. If nothing else, it will help me get familiarized with other players around the league, especially positions like offensive linemen of whom are seldom discussed on conventional sports programs and publications.
I'm not even sure if I wanted to see us take Carter with our #20 overall. Knowing that he was a potential choice for what was going to be a top 10 pick, I watched him in the college football playoffs and was thoroughly underwhelmed. Then came all the stuff about his racing, his pro day, and so on, that reinforced the subjective first impression I got during the playoffs. He would have been an extremely risky pick. It will be a drama that I'm glad isn't ours.
I'm not so sure about Wags. Yes, he can still tackle, but he's clearly lost a step, makes more tackles downfield and doesn't fill holes like he used to. It's no coincidence that the Rams defense slid like they did and why they were so willing to part with him. And even in his last year with us, he wasn't getting very deep drops into the hook zones. Obviously, there's a lot of things that he brings to the table that don't show up on film or on the stat sheet, but I'm not sure how much he can contribute on game day and between the whistles. I wonder how much of his signing was due to his possible contributions and how much was sentimental, to let him retire as a Hawk. But on the other hand, he doesn't have to produce a lot to top how Cody Barton performed last year.