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Update: Stephone Anthony. Will now compete for starting weak side spot. (1 Viewer)

ShamrockPride

Footballguy
Title. One tackle yesterday. Maybe got 10% of defensive snaps. After a monster rookie year. And the Saints D is still terrible. Get his a## back out there.

 
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He only played 13 snaps.  

Think he had hamstring injuries leading up to the game.
He did, minor tweak in the 3rd preseason game I think. But they moved him to strongside, which will naturally limit his snaps with all the nickel everyone plays now, but I didn't think they would limit him THIS much.

He's a former first rounder with blazing speed and proved a tackling machine. Makes no sense. I don't know if at this point he gets any use until they switch him back to the inside. I'm so confused.

 
Mauti only had 2 tackles. Ellerbe was out and Stupar only had 1 tackle. Laurinaitis and Robertson who are both listed at MLB cleaned up on tackles with 7 and 11. Anyone watch the game and see who was playing where?

 
Robertson played Ellerbe spot at WLB. Honestly I liked Robertson in the game. He looked better, more physical than Ellerbe. Supposedly Ellerbe looked good in the offseason so I would expect him to return. That said, Ellerbe is *always* hurt it seems like. 

 
Robertson played Ellerbe spot at WLB. Honestly I liked Robertson in the game. He looked better, more physical than Ellerbe. Supposedly Ellerbe looked good in the offseason so I would expect him to return. That said, Ellerbe is *always* hurt it seems like. 
I agree.  Robertson looked good at the Will.  Ellerbe put up good numbers last year when healthy, but he rarely is.

 
Really strange, really really strange? Even though Saints weren't happy with his signal calling, this is just stupid... it's a long season, let's hope things will change sooner than later

 
Linebacker Stephone Anthony led the New Orleans Saints in tackles as a rookie.

Two games into his second season, he's looking like an afterthought in the defensive scheme.

Anthony played just four snaps in Sunday's loss to the New York Giants, and when asked to explain the linebacker's role, coach Sean Payton pointed to the Giants offense instead of the Saints' thoughts about Anthony.

"Yesterday was really more about a nickel package," Payton said on a teleconference Monday. "I want to say for 98 percent of the snaps they were in 11 personnel (three receivers, one tight end and one running back). We played a three-safety look to it; we played a true nickel look to it. And so, with less base, there were less opportunities for (Anthony) to be in."

Giants wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz all played at least 94 percent of the game, so the Saints running a nickel package for the majority of the contest isn't surprising. And most teams take the strong-side linebacker — Anthony's position — off the field when adding an extra defensive back enters the game.

Yet, through two games, Anthony has hardly played at all. He was clearly headed for a smaller role this season after the Saints signed veteran James Laurinaitis to play middle linebacker, but it was hard to project such little use for the 2015 first-round pick.

In Week 1, Anthony played just 13 snaps as the Saints opted to have Michael Mauti (21 snaps) as the top option on the strong side. Mauti had just six snaps in Week 2 compared to Anthony's four as the Saints chose to combat the Giants' three wide receivers with a frequent use of three safety sets, having rookie Vonn Bell or veteran Roman Harper join starters Kenny Vaccaro and Jairus Byrd on the field.

Nickel cornerback De'Vante Harris, an undrafted rookie, also had a diminished role in Week 2, playing 38 percent of snaps compared to 82 percent in Week 1.

Of course, with the Saints holding the Giants without an offensive touchdown Sunday, it's hard to argue with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defensive game plan, even if Anthony's lack of snaps is surprising. 

Asked what Anthony can do to gain a bigger role, Payton declined to provide any details.

"He's working at the Sam, and he dual trains at the Mike as well," he said.

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2016/09/sean_payton_provides_few_detai.html

 
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Word out of NO is that they are planning to slowly increase his snap count as the rest of the year progresses. Possible fantasy playoff contributor. See how it plays out. Something to keep in mind.

 
interesting blurb hit the news today..

New Saints LBs coach Mike Nolan said he is "excited about" 2015 first-round LB Stephone Anthony.
Anthony fell deep into the doghouse last season, playing just 133 defensive snaps after seeing 990 as a rookie. Nolan's arrival appears to have wiped the slate clean, however. "I've gotten to know Anthony on a personal level, as well as a football level in meetings, I like him," Nolan said. "Looking at tape of him, whether it was last year against Tampa Bay where he played the entire football game, whether it was the year before, he made a lot of plays." Nolan added he thinks Anthony is best suited to play in the middle. The Saints added both A.J. Klein and Manti Te'o this offseason, but they would probably prefer the former first-rounder earning the starting MLB job.

 
 
Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune
May 15 - 11:06 AM



 
Anzalone fell to the 9th round in my rookie draft, posted in rookie draft thread.

I own Anthony, so I took him, and am hoping either one takes a 3 down job this summer.  

But at this point, I would recommend someone avoid altogether.  Klein and Te'o there as well isn't a good thing for anyone.  

 
I agree unless you have huge rosters where you can hold them all until we see how it shakes out.  There have been very productive NOS LB's recently so if you get the starter, even if it's only until he gets hurt or benched, that can be a nice interim starter for very cheap.

 
Anzalone fell to the 9th round in my rookie draft, posted in rookie draft thread.

I own Anthony, so I took him, and am hoping either one takes a 3 down job this summer.  

But at this point, I would recommend someone avoid altogether.  Klein and Te'o there as well isn't a good thing for anyone.  
If Anzalone stays healthy then I think he is clearly the best WILL on the roster.  It's just a matter of when he supplants Ellerbe.  Klein is best at MIKE, so him vs. Anthony is the messier of the two competitions.  I think Te'o is competing with Robertson to see who is a Saint come Sep 2 and who is not.

 
If Anzalone stays healthy then I think he is clearly the best WILL on the roster.  It's just a matter of when he supplants Ellerbe.  Klein is best at MIKE, so him vs. Anthony is the messier of the two competitions.  I think Te'o is competing with Robertson to see who is a Saint come Sep 2 and who is not.
Ellerbe seems to hold off any challengers . . . right up until he gets hurt. Klein seems like the type that's worth adding where possible. The team brought him in as an FA and he's got some proven production that bodes well for future production. Anthony likely is rostered everywhere. Robertson has to be considered cannon fodder because if the team believes in his ability to hold down the ILB spot they likely don't bring in Klein or even T'eo. 

Both my IDPs are 50+ roster spots so there's some room to add/hold. Klein is my target of the group (again assuming Anthony is not available).

 
If Anzalone stays healthy then I think he is clearly the best WILL on the roster.  It's just a matter of when he supplants Ellerbe.  Klein is best at MIKE, so him vs. Anthony is the messier of the two competitions.  I think Te'o is competing with Robertson to see who is a Saint come Sep 2 and who is not.
Anzalone is interesting, but he's going to have to stay healthy, and it seems like Ellerbe and Robertson are both in front of him at WILL.  If he takes the job, great, but nothing is going to be handed to a mid round pick. 

Seems like Te'o and Klein will compete at MLB, and Te'o could be in competition for SLB, with Stupar and Anthony.

Couple things I don't like regarding Anthony's situation:

  • The new LB coach, Nolan, coached Te'o in SD, seems they are tight.  Might mean nothing.
  • Team had LB injuries/needs all year, and were playing Stupar over a 1st round pick.  I mean, they needed some LBs, and he never played.  
  • He had problems with grasping gameplans.  I don't like this. People don't get smarter.
I don't have to make a decision till August, but unless we read some glowing camp reports, I might cut him.  I mean, even if he wins a starting job, it doesn't look like he's a 3 down guy, so how valuable can he be?

 
Anzalone is interesting, but he's going to have to stay healthy, and it seems like Ellerbe and Robertson are both in front of him at WILL.  If he takes the job, great, but nothing is going to be handed to a mid round pick. 

Seems like Te'o and Klein will compete at MLB, and Te'o could be in competition for SLB, with Stupar and Anthony.

Couple things I don't like regarding Anthony's situation:

  • The new LB coach, Nolan, coached Te'o in SD, seems they are tight.  Might mean nothing.
  • Team had LB injuries/needs all year, and were playing Stupar over a 1st round pick.  I mean, they needed some LBs, and he never played.  
  • He had problems with grasping gameplans.  I don't like this. People don't get smarter.
I don't have to make a decision till August, but unless we read some glowing camp reports, I might cut him.  I mean, even if he wins a starting job, it doesn't look like he's a 3 down guy, so how valuable can he be?
I think he still has 3 down ability, neck-up is the big question  Whether you keep him or not totally depends on format and replacement options.  His previous owner got tired of waiting on him in one of my leagues, so he cut him last season.  I picked him up and plan to keep him until at least the start of the season.  

 
Ellerbe seems to hold off any challengers . . . right up until he gets hurt. Klein seems like the type that's worth adding where possible. The team brought him in as an FA and he's got some proven production that bodes well for future production. Anthony likely is rostered everywhere. Robertson has to be considered cannon fodder because if the team believes in his ability to hold down the ILB spot they likely don't bring in Klein or even T'eo. 

Both my IDPs are 50+ roster spots so there's some room to add/hold. Klein is my target of the group (again assuming Anthony is not available).
OTAs this week showed Klein and Ellerbe on the field together with "big nickel" formations. Anthony and Robertson played behind them. 

 
111 tackles in 2015 - how could he have regressed so much mentally?  I have to think something else is going on behind the scenes that we don't know of.  It's your second bullet that did it for me, Massraider - the Saints needed LB's all season long and yet he was not on the field much.  Something else is going on and I don't think it has anything to do with intelligence.  
Dennis Allen happened.  Anthony's production dipped once he was promoted in 15 and 16 speaks for itself.

Now, is that more on Allen? or Anthony? :shrug:

 
Combination of both?  In a situation where a guy has 111 tackles in one season, then the next the team is desperate for LB's and DOES NOT PLAY HIM, it cannot just be one person.  It has to be a combo.  
Usually is, but which is the bigger problem? can they work out whatever differences there are? if not will Anthony go elsewhere and be successful? or will Allen get canned first?

I haven't paid enough attention to the situation to answer any of those questions, but barring some new info I won't outright dismiss him until he goes somewhere else and fails too.

 
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Colts, Saints and Radiers.  Everyone is scooping up the entire depth chart to figure out who will come out on top.  I bet they don't even know yet. 

 
BroncosFan07 said:
Any updates on how the Saints LB core is shaking out?  Who is the guy to own?

Who has been playing MLB?  Klein?  Te'o?
Depth chart before preseason game 1 showed Klein as SAM, Robertson as Will, and Te'o as MLB. Anthony listed behind Te'o.

 
in the last few practices the two 3-down line backers have been AJ Klein at one spot and Anzalone/Anthony splitting reps at the other spot.

 

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