...
This is about the DL and the potential built into the Rams sack percentage from last year.
Numbers are from Pro Football Outsiders.
They explain it how they do it:
There's a fuller explanation of "adjusted sack rate" here:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2003/fun-sacks
Okay how did the Rams rank in 2011.
Team, Rank, Sacks, Adjusted Sack Rate
STL 8 39 7.5%
Now with that, consider (as PFO did) that the Rams weren't passed against that often. In fact, they were 5th in pass attempts against, which means of course that there were only 4 teams offenses threw against less than they threw against the Rams (with the Rams it was 484 attempts).
They did have Hall (although he too was banged up) and Long. Quinn did get on the field and contribute. Neverthless, they did that last year with some distinct disadvantages:
***
They accomplished that with:
* other teams virtually always having the lead and therefore the pure advantage in pass blocking
* a constantly revised cornerback position, meaning a long list of injuries like nothing anyone has ever seen in their entire history of watching the sport
* an over and done with Fred Robbins, who got banged up in camp and was never the same (Robbins was one of the main reasons the defense got better in 2010)
* a rookie Quinn who did not even play in 2010 and had no off-season in 2011 and then on top of it was banged up and out of shape in July and had to be kept off the field for the first couple of weeks of camp
* a rotten run defense (for a lot of reasons, including Robbins)
NOW?
* they are so deep at corner this year they need diving bells to do the depth chart
* DT...they loaded up against the run along the DL which ought to force more passing attempts....just a reminder, the roll call includes Langford, Brockers, Laws, and some possible candidates in returning (and returning healthier) guys and the UDFAs
* this is Fisher's luck again, but it turns out, Oakland is switching to a 3/4 so they let their legendary DL coach, Mike Waufle, go. He is assisted by Clyde Simmons, the great DE from the Buddy Ryan Eagles defense. That means everyone gets a chance to improve. It also means that some returning young vets and some UDFAs get a chance to learn the game from one of the 2-3 best there is.
* more about young vets. A reminder about Fisher and DTs. Fisher's Titans had a REMARKABLE hit percentage drafting DTs. That's detailed here: http://www.theramshuddle.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=42803&p=273660&hilit=starks+fisk+thornton#p273660... With the Rams, the prospects are abundant. It's not only Brockers and Langford, it includes other young vets and new prospects. To name them, it's (at DE) Hayes, Jarrett, Quinn, Sims, and Smith, and (at DT) Banks, Conrath, Cudjo, Laws, and Scott. Both Cudjo and Scott were banged up last year. Laws comes with a good rep as a young developing vet. Now anyone can just list new names. But remember, guys signed with the Rams BECAUSE OF Waufle. That means they got their pick of the better UDFAs and young FAs like Laws. The key? Fisher has always had a knack for finding them plus Waufle REALLY DOES PRODUCE. So that mix is going to produce SOMETHING, sooner or later. It won't be all camp names and then cut and forgotten.
***
So....LAST YEAR, with major disadvantages, the Rams ranked high in sacks per attempt. THIS YEAR they addressed the disadvantages, including run defense, plus brought in a very productive (actually, legendary) DL coach to upgrade all along the line. They did not lose last year's advantages and gained strengths on top of it.
They're still relatively young, though.
Still. Whether it's in Year One of the Fisher Calendar or not, they ARE going to make a DL out of that bunch.
This is about the DL and the potential built into the Rams sack percentage from last year.
Numbers are from Pro Football Outsiders.
They explain it how they do it:
There's a fuller explanation of "adjusted sack rate" here:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2003/fun-sacks
Okay how did the Rams rank in 2011.
Team, Rank, Sacks, Adjusted Sack Rate
STL 8 39 7.5%
Now with that, consider (as PFO did) that the Rams weren't passed against that often. In fact, they were 5th in pass attempts against, which means of course that there were only 4 teams offenses threw against less than they threw against the Rams (with the Rams it was 484 attempts).
They did have Hall (although he too was banged up) and Long. Quinn did get on the field and contribute. Neverthless, they did that last year with some distinct disadvantages:
***
They accomplished that with:
* other teams virtually always having the lead and therefore the pure advantage in pass blocking
* a constantly revised cornerback position, meaning a long list of injuries like nothing anyone has ever seen in their entire history of watching the sport
* an over and done with Fred Robbins, who got banged up in camp and was never the same (Robbins was one of the main reasons the defense got better in 2010)
* a rookie Quinn who did not even play in 2010 and had no off-season in 2011 and then on top of it was banged up and out of shape in July and had to be kept off the field for the first couple of weeks of camp
* a rotten run defense (for a lot of reasons, including Robbins)
NOW?
* they are so deep at corner this year they need diving bells to do the depth chart
* DT...they loaded up against the run along the DL which ought to force more passing attempts....just a reminder, the roll call includes Langford, Brockers, Laws, and some possible candidates in returning (and returning healthier) guys and the UDFAs
* this is Fisher's luck again, but it turns out, Oakland is switching to a 3/4 so they let their legendary DL coach, Mike Waufle, go. He is assisted by Clyde Simmons, the great DE from the Buddy Ryan Eagles defense. That means everyone gets a chance to improve. It also means that some returning young vets and some UDFAs get a chance to learn the game from one of the 2-3 best there is.
* more about young vets. A reminder about Fisher and DTs. Fisher's Titans had a REMARKABLE hit percentage drafting DTs. That's detailed here: http://www.theramshuddle.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=42803&p=273660&hilit=starks+fisk+thornton#p273660... With the Rams, the prospects are abundant. It's not only Brockers and Langford, it includes other young vets and new prospects. To name them, it's (at DE) Hayes, Jarrett, Quinn, Sims, and Smith, and (at DT) Banks, Conrath, Cudjo, Laws, and Scott. Both Cudjo and Scott were banged up last year. Laws comes with a good rep as a young developing vet. Now anyone can just list new names. But remember, guys signed with the Rams BECAUSE OF Waufle. That means they got their pick of the better UDFAs and young FAs like Laws. The key? Fisher has always had a knack for finding them plus Waufle REALLY DOES PRODUCE. So that mix is going to produce SOMETHING, sooner or later. It won't be all camp names and then cut and forgotten.
***
So....LAST YEAR, with major disadvantages, the Rams ranked high in sacks per attempt. THIS YEAR they addressed the disadvantages, including run defense, plus brought in a very productive (actually, legendary) DL coach to upgrade all along the line. They did not lose last year's advantages and gained strengths on top of it.
They're still relatively young, though.
Still. Whether it's in Year One of the Fisher Calendar or not, they ARE going to make a DL out of that bunch.
