05-30-2016, 12:23 AM
(05-29-2016, 11:37 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I don't disagree with your general message, but I disagree with the content you wrote to make it....
Brandon Thompson saw plenty of snaps on the field. He's seen 818 defensive snaps, which is a lot considering how often he's been hurt and how mediocre he's been when he was healthy. To put that in context? Geno Atkins was 1st Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2015. He did it on 768 defensive snaps.
As I say about people who want to give the ball to Hill 30 times a game. If the guy is sucking/mediocre, you can't keep giving him endless amounts of snaps. You have a game to win and that means putting the best people on the field. Same applies to Hunt and company.
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I think you're mixing up Tank Johnson/Geno Atkins... with John Thornton/Pat Sims in 2008. Tank and Geno did play together in 2010, but Tank started all 7 of the games he played in before getting a season-ending knee injury. So certainly wasn't Tank benching himself.
Lets not do this revisionist history.... angers me because now I am defending Marvin Lewis and I don't want to.
Geno NEEDED a year in the NFL to get his Pro muscles. He was weighed in at 290 before getting drafted. He needed that year to put on 10-15 pounds of muscle.
Dunlap NEEDED to sit behind Geathers. That is the reason why he lasted to the 2nd round. He was young and had serious questions about his work ethic and drive. He also needed to learn to defend against the run on an NFL level. If you recall, they tried to give him more snaps in his 2nd season after his great limited 1st season, and his sack total dipped from 9.0 to 4.5. Carlos Dunlap came into the NFL at the age of 21, so it's not surprising it took him two seasons before he broke out as an all-around player at the age of 23, which is a common age people come into the NFL normally. He got his chances, and when he showed he was ready to be a good all around player, he became the full time starter from then on.
This isnt revisionist. Just facts.
Geno led the team in pressures and was second on the team in sacks as a rookie. He was ready to make an impact.
Dunlap had 9.5 sacks as a rookie. He needed to mature. His football skills were there. Playing him behind Geathers didnt make him better. Had injuries that slowed him year 2 and 3. Still rediculous our coaches gave one of the best 4-3 DEs in the league 2 freaking starts his first 3 years in the league.
You can say whatever you want. Hopefully it was the DL coach who left deciding the pecking order. But the fact Dunlap had 2 career starts going in to his 4th year proves there is something broke there.
We had a great opportunity to get Hunt and Clarke a good look in 2014. Instead we rode Gilberry to a league worst sack total.
I hope the change at DL coach changes this and we start to properly utilize the talent we have.
