Starting DT: Griffin and ?
 

I think it's a given that Cornelius Griffin will be one of the starting DTs on opening day but who will open the season beside him? Vote.

Is Bernard Holsey still out there? I kinda liked him, he played with a high motor. I wouldn't want him starting but for depth we could do alot worse.

I would say Noble when he comes back 100% unless we would pick up someone like Sam Adams but if not I would say Haley till Noble is 100%, but I would imagine alot of rotation going on.

We really need to sign a top-notch player like Sam Adams to hold down the other DT tackle spot. I also agree with MattyK, we need to re-sign Bernard Holsey. He definitely isn't starter quality, but he does provide solid depth and could be useful on third and long. I doubt Noble is healthy enough to start and Haley probably isn't good enough to start.

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]Is Bernard Holsey still out there? I kinda liked him, he played with a high motor. I wouldn't want him starting but for depth we could do alot worse.[/QUOTE]

I didn't see him on the redskins.com roster

Daniels could end up playing alot of DT too, with Upshaw and Wynn at the ends. Regardless of who starts I think we'll see alot of rotating up front.

Adams could be an option, I just don't think he's going to come cheap.

I dont see it beign any of those guys. I think Matty could be right and Daniels plays some DT to give Upshaw playing time. I still think we are going ot pick up another player before to long.

Given Griffin's size (6-3, 300), it seems like they would need to stick a bigger guy in there to cover the 0 and 1-techniques. Haley's size (6-4, 325) would seem to make him a more viable candidate for that role than Noble (6-2, 304) or Salave'a (6-3, 295).

I know that the 1-technique is not entirely about size, but it certainly does help. Noble for instance, is not the biggest DT out there, but he has been known in the past as a guy who can capably fill the 1-gap and take on double-teams. However, Noble's knee injury, combined with his smaller size in comparison to Haley, lead me to believe Haley should be the guy alongside Griffin.

I also expect Williams to keep a steady rotation going along the line, with Wynn and Daniels often lining up at the DT spots, depending on the situation.

I'm pulling for Salave'a to make a name for himself as a key reserve along the D-line. Hopefully, his reunion with Williams will lead to good things for him and the defensive line.

Joe,

Care to educate those of us who aren't exactly sure what the 0 and 1 techniques are all about? It sounds fascinating and I'm always up for learning something new.

Thanks,

--Phin

[QUOTE=Phinehas]Joe,

Care to educate those of us who aren't exactly sure what the 0 and 1 techniques are all about? It sounds fascinating and I'm always up for learning something new.

Thanks,

--Phin[/QUOTE]
Absolutely, Phin. After all, how can this be the home of "Redskins Discussion for the Knowledgeable Fan" unless we share our knowledge?

When coaches explain to their D-linemen where exactly they want them to line up on a given play, they use a numbering system based on the O-linemen and the gaps between the O-linemen.


Using the Center position on the offensive line as the starting point, the Center is "0", the gap between the center and offensive guard is "1," the offensive guard himself is "2," the gap between the offensive guard and offensive tackle is "3," the offensive tackle himself is "4," the gap between the offensive tackle and tight end is "5," and the TE himself is "6". The TE's inside shoulder (or "shade-in") is "7," the gap fully outside the TE is "8," and the TE's outside shoulder (or "shade-out") is "9." It looks something like this:



.....TE...OT...OG...C...OG...OT...TE

8.....6....4......2....0....2.....4......6.....8

....9..7.5....3....1.....1.....3....5.7....9





So when I describe Jermaine Haley as a more ideal "0" or "1" gap player, I mean he is best suited for playing heads-up on the Center, or in the gap between the center and guard (this gap is also referred to as the "A" gap). This is because you generally want a heftier, "roadblock" type of DT in there as an anchor who can occupy two blockers (generally the center and a guard) without getting run-over. A successful "0" or "1" technician will divert blockers from the linebackers and other D-linemen, and make it easier for the linebackers to diagnose and attack the play.

Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave'a, on the other hand, seem better suited for playing "2" or "3" techniques, where they will try to shoot the gaps between the OG and OT. Often, they attack the vacancy left when a guard double teams the "1" technician with the center, or when an OG double teams a DE with an OT. They are generally quicker and more agile than "1" technicians, but rely on the anchoring effect of the bigger DT to burst through the gaps and into the backfield.

[QUOTE=joecrisp]Given Griffin's size (6-3, 300), it seems like they would need to stick a bigger guy in there to cover the 0 and 1-techniques. Haley's size (6-4, 325) would seem to make him a more viable candidate for that role than Noble (6-2, 304) or Salave'a (6-3, 295).

I know that the 1-technique is not entirely about size, but it certainly does help. Noble for instance, is not the biggest DT out there, but he has been known in the past as a guy who can capably fill the 1-gap and take on double-teams. However, Noble's knee injury, combined with his smaller size in comparison to Haley, lead me to believe Haley should be the guy alongside Griffin.

I also expect Williams to keep a steady rotation going along the line, with Wynn and Daniels often lining up at the DT spots, depending on the situation.

I'm pulling for Salave'a to make a name for himself as a key reserve along the D-line. Hopefully, his reunion with Williams will lead to good things for him and the defensive line.[/QUOTE]

Haley was my vote, I will also add this, his play toward's the end of last year was impressive, he didn't have the sack's, but he was penetrating into the backfield, I was wondering where he came from? I was kind of surprised he hasen't been more talked about as a starter, I thought I heard something a while back about him not being able to hold up all season, he defiently has the size we are looking for, I think he will be the guy, although we will probably see a lot of guy's get playing time on the D-line.

I don't think Noble will be ready by the start of the season so I'm going with Haley. If I remember right he played most of last season with a broken thumb and considering that I don't think he did all that bad.

I think Matty is right though that Daniels could play a lot of DT as well. Not only to put both Upshaw and Wynn in there at DE but also when they ocassionaly put Washington or LaVar up on the line as well

Great post, Joe.

It would be great to see Noble out there and healthy, but my guess is that wont be for a while yet, if ever. I'll go with Haley, and let's hope it holds up!

[QUOTE=offiss]Haley was my vote, I will also add this, his play toward's the end of last year was impressive, he didn't have the sack's, but he was penetrating into the backfield, I was wondering where he came from? I was kind of surprised he hasen't been more talked about as a starter, I thought I heard something a while back about him not being able to hold up all season, he defiently has the size we are looking for, I think he will be the guy, although we will probably see a lot of guy's get playing time on the D-line.[/QUOTE]
I think you may be thinking of Bernard Holsey there offiss, Haley was banged up late in the year and didn't play much.

Holsey is still a free agent as far as I know. I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest in him considering he would come cheap, and he can certainly fill a reserve role.

That being said, I have a feeling that we may see Haley in the starting rotation, with Wynn or Daniels sliding inside on nickel packages.

I'd like to say we may also see some 3-4 with Griffin at NT, and Mitchell coming in, but Griffin really doesn't have the requisite size to play there.

Lets hope someone gets cut in the next few weeks that can give us some decent minutes up front.

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]I think you may be thinking of Bernard Holsey there offiss, Haley was banged up late in the year and didn't play much.[/QUOTE]

No, I was defiently thinking of Haley, but my timing is probably off, it could have been mid way through the season, or toward's the end, I am not really sure, I just remembered him standing out, and your probably right, I was hoping to see more of him late in the season and he had an injury prob. I was disapointed at the time I didn't get more of a chance to see him play.

But thank's for keeping an eye on me Matty! ;)

yeah cuz he was put on IR not too far into the season, maybe half way or something

Joe,

Thanks for the great explanation. You live up well to the "knowledgeable fan" standard. I really believe this has got to be one of the best fan sites on the web.

--Phin

Hey JoeCrisp:

Just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? Are you a writer now? Did you get an English degree in college? Are you seriously trying to break into sports journalism/commentary?

Somebody mentioned ESPN. Judging from what I've read, it certainly sounds like you've got the goods. Have you ever sent in your writings to newspapers or magazines for publication?

Keep us updated, and follow your dreams!

[QUOTE=Beemnseven]Hey JoeCrisp:

Just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? Are you a writer now? Did you get an English degree in college? Are you seriously trying to break into sports journalism/commentary?

Somebody mentioned ESPN. Judging from what I've read, it certainly sounds like you've got the goods. Have you ever sent in your writings to newspapers or magazines for publication?

Keep us updated, and follow your dreams![/QUOTE]
Thanks for the encouragement, Beems! I really appreciate it.

I'm actually a quality control auditor for Comcast in Richmond, but that has nothing to do with my writing aspirations.

I majored in Mass Communications at James Madison University, with a focus in telecommunications-- mostly the technical and business aspects of telecom networks. In hindsight, I really wish I had focused on journalism-- which, as you can see, is what I truly enjoy.

Thankfully, I did manage to take a few newswriting and journalism-oriented classes while fulfilling the credit requirements in my major, which provided me enough insight to the business to have a pretty good idea of how the whole newswriting thing works.

Ultimately, I would love to become a full-time Redskins beat reporter for somebody. I've started the process of contacting local and regional newspapers, trying to sell them on the idea of printing my camp reports. I didn't really feel comfortable with my writing until after the last minicamp, but the generous encouragement you guys have given me has really made me feel much more confident in my abilities.

Hopefully, with a little persistence, I'll be able to sell a few sports editors on the idea of printing my camp reports this summer. I'm planning on taking a week off from work and doing a week-long report sometime during training camp. I'm just waiting to see how Coach Gibbs plans to handle the media access and open practices.

I didn't think it would be worth it to go up there this weekend, given the fact that reporters wouldn't be allowed to watch the most critical portions of practice. Interviews are great, but I think you guys get more out of what I'm able to tell you about positional competitions and the performances of particular players and units during full-squad sessions.

I voted for other. I like Noble as a person and he is a great example of a great-hard working Redskin off the field. But as much as I want to see Noble and Haley step up a notch and move into the great players status with their play.... I can't help thinking there is little chance for that because (in my opinion) they lacking in basic raw physical talent to become really great. I think the best we can ever expect from them is they become average to slightly above average.
So I would want the Skins to start looking for a future replacement that has the potential to become an all-star. Sam Adams, if he is realeased, seems like the quickest/short term fix.

Joe Crisp:

One more post like the one you did on the gap numbering system and we'll have to change your screen name to "The Perfesser".

Excellent explanation. I hope everyone here copies your message and saves it to their hard disk.

I really want Brandon Noble to be a starting DT and for him to be productive this year but it would be next to miraculous for that to happen. He may not be the best pairing with Griffin in terms of size but he is EXACTLY the kind of guy you want to have next to Griffin in terms of the effort Noble gives on every snap of the ball. The knock on Griffin is that he has a tendency to take plays off and sometimes to take a series off and last year to take a game off once in a while. For Noble to "take a play off" he has to be carried off the field...

[QUOTE=sportscurmudgeon]Joe Crisp:

One more post like the one you did on the gap numbering system and we'll have to change your screen name to "The Perfesser".

Excellent explanation. I hope everyone here copies your message and saves it to their hard disk.

I really want Brandon Noble to be a starting DT and for him to be productive this year but it would be next to miraculous for that to happen. He may not be the best pairing with Griffin in terms of size but he is EXACTLY the kind of guy you want to have next to Griffin in terms of the effort Noble gives on every snap of the ball. The knock on Griffin is that he has a tendency to take plays off and sometimes to take a series off and last year to take a game off once in a while. For Noble to "take a play off" he has to be carried off the field...[/QUOTE]
Thanks, SC! Your take on Noble and Griffin is dead-on. Noble truly deserves to be a starter, based on effort and heart alone. I'm definitely pulling for him, and praying that he'll earn that "miracle". Noble is able to overcome his size deficit as a nose guard through sheer effort and tenacity. Let's just hope that knee of his holds up and continues to improve.

Hopefully, with improved coaching from Williams and Blache, as well as the shining example of Noble working his tail off alongside him, Griffin will learn to be a more consistent player and put forth the kind of effort that Noble gives on every play. If that happens, then this D-line will be vastly improved.

I'd be willing to bet that as long as Noble is ready to go Gibbs will give him the starting nod in week 1 out of respect.

Noble should be effective in a rotation, I'm sure the staff will closely monitor his snaps.