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Author: Khaled Elsayed
http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/20 ... -nfc-west/
St Louis Rams
Position: Outside Linebacker
The Players: Jo-Lonn Dunbarr. Mario Haggan and Rocky McIntosh
The Battle: Two from three, and none without their question marks. McIntosh has been a constant disappointment, failing to live up to his draft slot and struggling in every scheme the Redskins have run. He’s just not good enough at diagnosing plays, nor does he do a good job of shedding blocks. At this stage you know what you’re going to get from the former second-round pick, and you know it’s going to underwhelm.
The same can’t be said of Dunbar. The former undrafted free agent had looked good in flashes until a disastrous 2011 saw him earn a quite incredible -25.5 grade. He wasn’t helped by missing 13 tackles, but he was also hampered by a scheme that left linebackers vulnerable and switched his position around. He demonstrates talent, but if he practices like he played last year then it’s hard to see him getting on the field.
The last contender isn’t getting any younger, but what he lacks in youth he makes up for in consistency. Haggan isn’t cut out to be an every-down player, but he does certain things very well: namely, run defense. In coverage he’s a liability, but regardless of how the Broncos used him he was always productive when teams tried running on them. He isn’t the long-term solution, and should be off the field in nickel, but at least you know what you will get from him.
The Verdict: The idea of putting McIntosh on the field should scare Rams fans. He’s failed under different defensive coordinators and different schemes while others around have flourished. With that said, you have to ask yourself if Dunbar can play the weakside, although there’s some upside that McIntosh doesn’t possess. A Dunbarr/Haggan partnership isn’t going to wow many, but it’s making the best of a bad situation.
http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/20 ... -nfc-west/
St Louis Rams
Position: Outside Linebacker
The Players: Jo-Lonn Dunbarr. Mario Haggan and Rocky McIntosh
The Battle: Two from three, and none without their question marks. McIntosh has been a constant disappointment, failing to live up to his draft slot and struggling in every scheme the Redskins have run. He’s just not good enough at diagnosing plays, nor does he do a good job of shedding blocks. At this stage you know what you’re going to get from the former second-round pick, and you know it’s going to underwhelm.
The same can’t be said of Dunbar. The former undrafted free agent had looked good in flashes until a disastrous 2011 saw him earn a quite incredible -25.5 grade. He wasn’t helped by missing 13 tackles, but he was also hampered by a scheme that left linebackers vulnerable and switched his position around. He demonstrates talent, but if he practices like he played last year then it’s hard to see him getting on the field.
The last contender isn’t getting any younger, but what he lacks in youth he makes up for in consistency. Haggan isn’t cut out to be an every-down player, but he does certain things very well: namely, run defense. In coverage he’s a liability, but regardless of how the Broncos used him he was always productive when teams tried running on them. He isn’t the long-term solution, and should be off the field in nickel, but at least you know what you will get from him.
The Verdict: The idea of putting McIntosh on the field should scare Rams fans. He’s failed under different defensive coordinators and different schemes while others around have flourished. With that said, you have to ask yourself if Dunbar can play the weakside, although there’s some upside that McIntosh doesn’t possess. A Dunbarr/Haggan partnership isn’t going to wow many, but it’s making the best of a bad situation.
