Can We Find A Place For Aaron Donald On This Defense?

[wrstdude]

Tim Walton begs to differ.

lol- addendum: "and keep your job."

 

[jrry32]

Could have? So what's the DID have? FSU's QB passed 25/27 for over 350 yds AND they had 156 yards rushing. If the guy was handled at all by a Guard that likely won't even get drafted, I dunno. What top guards did he play against? As far as I can see, he rarely had to. And from the tape I watched, it appeared FSU's O-line was actually handling him fairly well. I just don't see him pancaking many NFL linemen and if he has go to hand battling, I really don't think he wins that one very often.

You watch much more tape on these guys. I just don't see what you are seeing.

Could have? Yea. That's kind of important when evaluating how a guy transitions to the NFL. He beat his man and got into the QB's face that often that he could have had 4-5 sacks in that game.(edit: on review...5 was an exaggeration...3-4)

Sadly, for young Mr. Donald, he doesn't play LB or DB so there wasn't much he could do to stop Winston from exploiting the terrible defense around him. He handled his man though.

What top Gs did he play against? Well...he did dominate the Senior Bowl...

As far as the Florida State game goes, these plays don't appear to me to be examples of him being handled well...just my opinion though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=00m55s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=01m25s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=02m35s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=03m38s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=04m15s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=04m51s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=07m01s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=08m12s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=09m26s

 

[RamFan503]

Could have? Yea. That's kind of important when evaluating how a guy transitions to the NFL. He beat his man and got into the QB's face that often that he could have had 4-5 sacks in that game.(edit: on review...5 was an exaggeration...3-4)

Sadly, for young Mr. Donald, he doesn't play LB or DB so there wasn't much he could do to stop Winston from exploiting the terrible defense around him. He handled his man though.

What top Gs did he play against? Well...he did dominate the Senior Bowl...

As far as the Florida State game goes, these plays don't appear to me to be examples of him being handled well...just my opinion though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=00m55s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=01m25s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=02m35s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=03m38s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=04m15s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=04m51s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=07m01s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=08m12s
[URL]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1y-Z9AvYk#t=09m26s

[/URL]

Yeah - Y'know Jrry - it's not worth arguing for me. I get what you're saying. I don't hold the Senior bowl in much regard. There weren't many good guards to go against there either. I don't think we'll draft him but if we did, I could live with it and hope it's because they saw what you did. I just don't view it as a big need nor do I view him as a must have type of player. I certainly reserve the right to change my mind there though. The guy is disruptive in college. Not sure that will translate to a devastating DT in the NFL but I guess we'll see. I realize collapsing the pocket from inside could play huge in getting to and rattling the QB.

I think we have a pretty damn good D-line with decent depth. And I - unlike most - actually think Langford is a pretty good DT. I think we have a young but promising WR corp. 2/3 of our LBs are IMO very good and who knows about Dunbar. I see us needing a FS type safety and another CB but most importantly, I think we need help on that O-line far beyond patching some players in and thinking Williams would be any kind of answer. I like Barks. Obviously Long is a stud if he is healthy. I doubt Saffold, Dahl, OR Wells will be back. And I am just plain tired of playing lip service to the O-line by scouring practice squads and cut downs and then paying FAs that rarely seem to earn their paychecks. I so want us to get a couple young studs on that line for Bou to work with.

I realize I may be preaching to the choir but I think we can do SO much with a few adds in the defensive backfield and an actual solid O-line. We've gone with the youth movement virtually everywhere on the team except on the O-line. Let's draft some nasty beef up front to blow some holes in the defense, move the pile on short yardage when everyone knows that is what you are going to do, and keep our QB upright with his eyes downfield.

Sam is damn good and I don't care what any detractors have to say about that. We have barely seen what Sted can do but he strikes me as a non-dickhead young Steve Smith. Quick? Jury is still hung. TA is going to make splash plays. Cook is going to be good for at least 800 yards. Givens? Just not sure if he can do enough. Pettis is if nothing, a receiver that can give you Gibson type of performance. That does still leave us without maybe that big outside receiver but...

So for me - if we were to pick up both Mathews AND Robinson, it wouldn't break my heart one bit.

 

[DR RAM]

So for me - if we were to pick up both Mathews AND Robinson, it wouldn't break my heart one bit.

I just got a Michael Sam.

Couldn't help myself.

 

[RamFan503]

Scared - very scared.:eek:

 

[DR RAM]

Scared - very scared.:eek:

Hold on while I take a selfie....

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Lol

Seriously though, Fisher seems to favor taller DLinemen. I doubt Donald gets drafted by the Rams. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the NFL.

 

[DR RAM]

Lol

Seriously though, Fisher seems to favor taller DLinemen. I doubt Donald gets drafted by the Rams. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the NFL.

I agree, he likes really tall defensive lineman, since he's been here anyway. Even a guy like Conrath.

 

[jrry32]

Yeah - Y'know Jrry - it's not worth arguing for me. I get what you're saying. I don't hold the Senior bowl in much regard. There weren't many good guards to go against there either. I don't think we'll draft him but if we did, I could live with it and hope it's because they saw what you did. I just don't view it as a big need nor do I view him as a must have type of player. I certainly reserve the right to change my mind there though. The guy is disruptive in college. Not sure that will translate to a devastating DT in the NFL but I guess we'll see. I realize collapsing the pocket from inside could play huge in getting to and rattling the QB.

I think we have a pretty damn good D-line with decent depth. And I - unlike most - actually think Langford is a pretty good DT. I think we have a young but promising WR corp. 2/3 of our LBs are IMO very good and who knows about Dunbar. I see us needing a FS type safety and another CB but most importantly, I think we need help on that O-line far beyond patching some players in and thinking Williams would be any kind of answer. I like Barks. Obviously Long is a stud if he is healthy. I doubt Saffold, Dahl, OR Wells will be back. And I am just plain tired of playing lip service to the O-line by scouring practice squads and cut downs and then paying FAs that rarely seem to earn their paychecks. I so want us to get a couple young studs on that line for Bou to work with.

I realize I may be preaching to the choir but I think we can do SO much with a few adds in the defensive backfield and an actual solid O-line. We've gone with the youth movement virtually everywhere on the team except on the O-line. Let's draft some nasty beef up front to blow some holes in the defense, move the pile on short yardage when everyone knows that is what you are going to do, and keep our QB upright with his eyes downfield.

Sam is damn good and I don't care what any detractors have to say about that. We have barely seen what Sted can do but he strikes me as a non-dickhead young Steve Smith. Quick? Jury is still hung. TA is going to make splash plays. Cook is going to be good for at least 800 yards. Givens? Just not sure if he can do enough. Pettis is if nothing, a receiver that can give you Gibson type of performance. That does still leave us without maybe that big outside receiver but...

So for me - if we were to pick up both Mathews AND Robinson, it wouldn't break my heart one bit.

Other than Donald, we see eye to eye entirely. I have my list of guys and they're the guys I want because I think they'll be quality pros. But I totally agree about the OL except I'm holding out hope that we can convince Saffold to return. But if we managed to grab Robinson and Matthews on draft day, I'd cry tears of joy.

IMO, that tandem would have the potential to be our Walter Jones-Steve Hutchinson combo on the left-side...except in this case, the white guy would be the LT and the black guy the LG.

 

[jrry32]

I agree, he likes really tall defensive lineman, since he's been here anyway. Even a guy like Conrath.

IMO, it's Waulfe. It's something he has a history with. But the Rams interviewed Donald at the combine so there's at least some intrigue there for them.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Other than Donald, we see eye to eye entirely. I have my list of guys and they're the guys I want because I think they'll be quality pros. But I totally agree about the OL except I'm holding out hope that we can convince Saffold to return. But if we managed to grab Robinson and Matthews on draft day, I'd cry tears of joy.

IMO, that tandem would have the potential to be our Walter Jones-Steve Hutchinson combo on the left-side...except in this case, the white guy would be the LT and the black guy the LG.

Both OLTs? I would be so excited I might kiss my nasty neighbor on the lips.

I guess the preference for taller DTs is all about blocking vision of the QB, and blocking passes.

 

[RamFan503]

Other than Donald, we see eye to eye entirely. I have my list of guys and they're the guys I want because I think they'll be quality pros. But I totally agree about the OL except I'm holding out hope that we can convince Saffold to return. But if we managed to grab Robinson and Matthews on draft day, I'd cry tears of joy.

IMO, that tandem would have the potential to be our Walter Jones-Steve Hutchinson combo on the left-side...except in this case, the white guy would be the LT and the black guy the LG.

I suppose at least we don't have Loney responsible for coaching up the line.

 

[jrry32]

I suppose at least we don't have Loney responsible for coaching up the line.

Yep. I was not a big Steve Loney fan.

 

[RamFan503]

Yep. I was not a big Steve Loney fan.

How the hell does he make it through two regimes here? I swear he had compromising pictures of Shaw and Georgia. I can't 'splain it any other way.

 

[The Rammer]

McDonald is not prototypical height at all which means he is going to suck like this guy did being little:

Which would make me feel like....

 

[RamFan503]

McDonald is not prototypical height at all which means he is going to suck like this guy did being little:

Which would make me feel like....

Who's McDonald? Did he have a farm?

 

[jrry32]

How the hell does he make it through two regimes here? I swear he had compromising pictures of Shaw and Georgia. I can't 'splain it any other way.

I don't know. Spags keeping him on was one of my biggest gripes with him. Poor choices for his assistant coaches.

 

[ChrisW]

Who's McDonald? Did he have a farm?

 

[The Rammer]

Who's McDonald? Did he have a farm?

Ughhh ya duh?

 

[The Rammer]

Chris you beat me to it :/