Could this be our best D in last 10 years

[kcsu]

The more i look at our D the more i feel as if it has a chance to be dominating.
With the exception of DE we are as deep as i can remember going back 10 or more years. Up front we have size, experiance, and depth. Jay B is going to demand double teams and with Crume Zion Sloan and JR we have a compliment of talent that we have not seen in a very long time.

LB is the strenght of the D. Davis and Spruil have a good chance to make the league and Lynn is poised for a break out year. Add in the depth and talent behind them and this group is 5-6 deep with size and speed that again has not been seen in a very long time.

The secondary is stacked. Speed, size, and depth. Lynn Redish, Anderson, Whig, Morgan, Wilkes, Esk, Kelly...

DE is a huge question but should be servicable. Love that our True frosh is turning heads. Hope that it isnt because the returning players are weak but rather he is a special talent. Sugar Bear looks the part and with time i feel will grow into a solid player. I picked Welsh as my break out player on D this year as he always makes plays and has a motor that doesnt quit. If we can get solid play out of this group i feel as if our D will keep us in every game we play this year including clemson which resembles WVU in so many ways.

 

[44PRIDE]

Love me some preseason optimism...

 

[Rocco]

Definately would've thought the same way if we still had MPB. We have a glaring question mark at DE, but I hope a few of these guys can step up. I love what I'm hearing about Zeke Johnson.

Regardless, this still has the shapings to be a very, very good D. Alot of talent at every other position.

I hope Hackenberg wins the QB job at PSU.

Here comes the corn... Then we can "hack-on-berg" all game.

I'll call strike 1 on myself:

 

[SmilinBob]

If any of the other three can help Bromley and force a double team, this unit will be very difficult for opposing offenses.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The more i look at our D the more i feel as if it has a chance to be dominating.
With the exception of DE we are as deep as i can remember going back 10 or more years. Up front we have size, experiance, and depth. Jay B is going to demand double teams and with Crume Zion Sloan and JR we have a compliment of talent that we have not seen in a very long time.

LB is the strenght of the D. Davis and Spruil have a good chance to make the league and Lynn is poised for a break out year. Add in the depth and talent behind them and this group is 5-6 deep with size and speed that again has not been seen in a very long time.

The secondary is stacked. Speed, size, and depth. Lynn Redish, Anderson, Whig, Morgan, Wilkes, Esk, Kelly...

DE is a huge question but should be servicable. Love that our True frosh is turning heads. Hope that it isnt because the returning players are weak but rather he is a special talent. Sugar Bear looks the part and with time i feel will grow into a solid player. I picked Welsh as my break out player on D this year as he always makes plays and has a motor that doesnt quit. If we can get solid play out of this group i feel as if our D will keep us in every game we play this year including clemson which resembles WVU in so many ways.

If those 2 guys hadn't been kicked off the team (and rightly so ...), I would agree with you. I have my concerns about a pass rush and depth in the D line.

 

[SmilinBob]

If those 2 guys hadn't been kicked off the team (and rightly so ...), I would agree with you. I have my concerns about a pass rush and depth in the D line.

Maybe go the LSU route and have the players vote them off or on the team from now on. jk...well I'm joking but this is actually what LSU did.

 

[Legendof44]

If Zeke can prove to be a threat, regardless of him being a true freshman..that will help us tremendously.

 

[RMH44]

Definately would've thought the same way if we still had MPB. We have a glaring question mark at DE, but I hope a few of these guys can step up. I love what I'm hearing about Zeke Johnson.

Regardless, this still has the shapings to be a very, very good D. Alot of talent at every other position.

I hope Hackenberg wins the QB job at PSU.

Here comes the corn... Then we can "hack-on-berg" all game.

I'll call strike 1 on myself:

Obviously we could use the experience of a MPB but, other than pure roster numbers, why the hand-wringing over a guy who's stats were VERY pedestrian?

I've said all a long that our defense will be in the ACC's top three statically and might be one of the nations top 10 best. Other than having a proven edge-rusher (which we still wouldn't have if MPB was on roster) this year's defense has all the necessary ingredients to be a dominant group. Teams will have to game plan to stop Bromley which should leave the DE's one-on-one. I'm putting my money on Welsh...he always seemed to be around the ball last year when given a chance. As many have said, I love his motor.

Imo, it all starts with the CB's. It appears that we have the luxury of possessing 4 CB's that can play on an island in press coverage. We've all witnessed what HCSS can do with his blitz packages...without CB's that can press cover, much of this wouldn't be possible. So, hopefully, Bullough and staff can be as creative as needed.

I love our front seven! The depth is scary. I'm far more concerned with play at Safety than anywhere else on the D. Shamarko was technician...a Rhodes Scholar at deciphering opponent's schemes. His replacement needs to step-up. There is talent in the wings and I really hope someone pushes Wilkes for the other safety spot.

 

[RMH44]

If those 2 guys hadn't been kicked off the team (and rightly so ...), I would agree with you. I have my concerns about a pass rush and depth in the D line.

Really? Do you mean DL...or DE?

Bromley, Crume, Sloan, Jones, Raymon, Coleman, and Johnson inside. Too bad Wayne Williams didn't make it this spring.

Even if unproven, we have decent numbers at DE also. Robinson, Welsh, Manley, Thompson, Marona and Trejo. I would have loved to see how Simmons had progressed.

From what I've read, Raymon and possible Johnson might bounce between tackle and end depending on the package.

 

[RICuse44]

Really? Do you mean DL...or DE?

Bromley, Crume, Sloan, Jones, Raymon, Coleman, and Johnson inside. Too bad Wayne Williams didn't make it this spring.

Even if unproven, we have decent numbers at DE also. Robinson, Welsh, Manley, Thompson, Marona and Trejo. I would have loved to see how Simmons had progressed.

From what I've read, Raymon and possible Johnson might bounce between tackle and end depending on the package.

I like the idea of Raymon and Zeke on the outside. For those scoring at home, would leave a starting DT pair of Jay and Crume, backups of Raymon and Jones, behind them Sloan and Coleman. The DE pair has got to be Micah and Welsh at this point. Backups sounds like Sugar bear and Zeke, situational would be Raymon and then there is still Trejo. Plus, don't forget in the past we mostly run okie on 3rd and medium to long and second and long. That's 3 down lineman plus an added DB. Dyshawn and Cam are really good blitzers (initially wrote great but restrained myself). Reddish and Esk can also bring it on the blitz and my impression is Wayne can as well. Will be interesting to see where Kirkland, Luke, Vigille, Coker, Whig, Reddish, Morgan, and Kelly all fit in. Really like the idea of packages. I have to calm down now.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Yes

 

[RF2044]

Obviously we could use the experience of a MPB but, other than pure roster numbers, why the hand-wringing over a guy who's stats were VERY pedestrian?

I've said all a long that our defense will be in the ACC's top three statically and might be one of the nations top 10 best. Other than having a proven edge-rusher (which we still wouldn't have if MPB was on roster) this year's defense has all the necessary ingredients to be a dominant group. Teams will have to game plan to stop Bromley which should leave the DE's one-on-one. I'm putting my money on Welsh...he always seemed to be around the ball last year when given a chance. As many have said, I love his motor.

Imo, it all starts with the CB's. It appears that we have the luxury of possessing 4 CB's that can play on an island in press coverage. We've all witnessed what HCSS can do with his blitz packages...without CB's that can press cover, much of this wouldn't be possible. So, hopefully, Bullough and staff can be as creative as needed.

I love our front seven! The depth is scary. I'm far more concerned with play at Safety than anywhere else on the D. Shamarko was technician...a Rhodes Scholar at deciphering opponent's schemes. His replacement needs to step-up. There is talent in the wings and I really hope someone pushes Wilkes for the other safety spot.

I think its because DE is shaping up as the biggest question mark on the team, and MPB would have helped. I am a big fan of Welsh; he's looked great in the last two spring games and seems to have a nose for the ball. But MPB was a starter, and a player more suited to getting upfield and making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Forget the stats--he was a JUCO who had to adjust, and he was playing the opposite side from a guy who was playing the position on the side of the field that MPB was probably better suited for. Sharpe didn't have a ton of sacks, either [half of them came in one game, IIRC]--but pass rush is more than just about sacks.

Back to my original point--I'd be a lot more comfortable having BOTH Welsh and MPB than just Welsh. DE remains in my mind--my opinion only--the biggest potential "weak" unit on the team--that and WR. And I'm comfortable that with the personnel we have, that WR will answer a lot of the question marks we have going into the season positively.

I'm less confident about DE.

 

[OrangePA]

MPB.

What a freakin idiot.

 

[RMH44]

MPB.

What freakin idiot.

You can add Walls to that list also. The coaches were very impressed with his work ethic and the way he transformed his body. What a shame.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

I honestly don't think it will be very difficult for this season's to be one of the best of the past ten years.

Since '04 Syracuse has only been in the top 50 of total defense three times.

2012 - #48
2010 - #7
2009 - #37

 

[RF2044]

MPB.

What freakin idiot.

You can say that again. Dope.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Really? Do you mean DL...or DE?

Bromley, Crume, Sloan, Jones, Raymon, Coleman, and Johnson inside. Too bad Wayne Williams didn't make it this spring.

Even if unproven, we have decent numbers at DE also. Robinson, Welsh, Manley, Thompson, Marona and Trejo. I would have loved to see how Simmons had progressed.

From what I've read, Raymon and possible Johnson might bounce between tackle and end depending on the package.

Walls was a DT ahead of some of those remaining guys, right? And the loss of MPB as an edge rusher will certainly hurt. Despite RMH's comment about his "pedestrian" production, I thought he really came on late in the year. It's the one spot we haven't really filled, IMO. The guys we are looking at as his replacement either look like DTs or LBs.

 

[RF2044]

Here's what the coaching staff has to work with at DE:

Welsh / Robinson--both solid but unspectacular. Better against the run than at pass rush?

Ron Thompson--unknown commodity after position switch from TE

Trevon Trejo--reportedly has the size / athleticism, but an unknown commodity as a JUCO transfer

Tyler Marona--sounds like a hard worker who might fit more into the mold of Robinson than as a pass rusher

Isiah Johnson--hybrid DL who probably will grow into a DT. Can he get after the QB? Unknown commodity as a frosh

Josh Manley--second year in program; quality "get" as a recruit, but no idea of his capabilities

John Raymon--NT sized, is he a better fit on the interior? Does he have the mobility at that size to get upfield and pressure QB?

James Washington--more of a hybrid LB than a pure DE, but might fit into the mix, as reportedly blitzing is a forte

 

[gocraz4dasu]

I honestly don't think it will be very difficult for this season's to be one of the best of the past ten years.

Since '04 Syracuse has only been in the top 50 of total defense three times.

2012 - #48
2010 - #7
2009 - #37

Or you could phrase it as, Syracuse has been in the top 50 in total defense 3 of the past 4 years...