Assessing defensive players for next season... (1 Viewer)

[nortobc]

Since my team's offense suffered catastrophic injuries and poor play, I am no longer in the toilet bowl playoffs and didn't make my other league's playoffs. That being said, I wanted to start a thread on some of the defensive players whose position might be in question next season.I would like to discuss Demarrio Williams. He has been a machine this season and is a top 10 defensive player. Williams plays all 3 downs for the Falcons which makes him very valuable. However, he started the year at SLB and when Ed Hartwell went down, Williams moved over to WLB.He put up solid numbers throughout the season, even when playing SLB. Do you think he will move back to SLB next season, and if so, will his numbers take a hit?

 

[Beaumont]

Since my team's offense suffered catastrophic injuries and poor play, I am no longer in the toilet bowl playoffs and didn't make my other league's playoffs. That being said, I wanted to start a thread on some of the defensive players whose position might be in question next season.

I would like to discuss Demarrio Williams. He has been a machine this season and is a top 10 defensive player. Williams plays all 3 downs for the Falcons which makes him very valuable. However, he started the year at SLB and when Ed Hartwell went down, Williams moved over to WLB.

He put up solid numbers throughout the season, even when playing SLB. Do you think he will move back to SLB next season, and if so, will his numbers take a hit?

I do think he goes back to SLB, since Hartwell will not be on the bench ... but I do not think his numbers dive that much ... he is still a 3 down LB who is very fast and active ... his tackles may drop, but they also might send him after the QB a little more ...

 

[inbreeder]

Since my team's offense suffered catastrophic injuries and poor play, I am no longer in the toilet bowl playoffs and didn't make my other league's playoffs. That being said, I wanted to start a thread on some of the defensive players whose position might be in question next season.

I would like to discuss Demarrio Williams. He has been a machine this season and is a top 10 defensive player. Williams plays all 3 downs for the Falcons which makes him very valuable. However, he started the year at SLB and when Ed Hartwell went down, Williams moved over to WLB.

He put up solid numbers throughout the season, even when playing SLB. Do you think he will move back to SLB next season, and if so, will his numbers take a hit?

Like you, I suffered the cruel fate of dropping all three of my playoff games yesterday. So I get to start considering these questions in a more detailed way too.Demorrio is a player. So much so that the Falcons quickly and rightly realized that he wouldn't succeed taking on blocks as a SLB and looked to have switched to a ROLB/LOLB alignment even before Hartwell's injury. If you look at the Gamebooks, that happened in the first month of the season, and it looks like Williams manned the right (weak) side. That's likely why his output was so good so early this year. But I never found a link or report documenting that - just the gamebooks.

I've been smacked around all year for saying that the Falcons could well make room for Williams by letting Brooking or Hartwell walk in the summer of 2006. Both guys are signed long term but will see big increases in base salary over the next couple of seasons. And the writing may have been on the wall when they drafted two young LB this past year, including Michael Boley.

Obviously if that happens, Demorrio will be in prime position to remain an absolute stud. Even if both Hartwell and Brooking return, a return to the righty/lefty alignment may be likely. And Williams did well there.

One caveat though. Williams is small. He's tailed off a bit in the second half. Whether he's worn down or offenses have adjusted their blocking schemes a bit (I've heard this stated but not seen it the past two weeks in primetime) remains to be seen.

Bottom line. I think he's a lower tier LB1 top LB2 for 2006. But, like with so many other players last summer, we'll have to hope he's not the victim of a nasty position change.

 

[nortobc]

Since my team's offense suffered catastrophic injuries and poor play, I am no longer in the toilet bowl playoffs and didn't make my other league's playoffs.  That being said, I wanted to start a thread on some of the defensive players whose position might be in question next season.

I would like to discuss Demarrio Williams.  He has been a machine this season and is a top 10 defensive player.  Williams plays all 3 downs for the Falcons which makes him very valuable.  However, he started the year at SLB and when Ed Hartwell went down, Williams moved over to WLB.

He put up solid numbers throughout the season, even when playing SLB.  Do you think he will move back to SLB next season, and if so, will his numbers take a hit?

Like you, I suffered the cruel fate of dropping all three of my playoff games yesterday. So I get to start considering these questions in a more detailed way too.Demorrio is a player. So much so that the Falcons quickly and rightly realized that he wouldn't succeed taking on blocks as a SLB and looked to have switched to a ROLB/LOLB alignment even before Hartwell's injury. If you look at the Gamebooks, that happened in the first month of the season, and it looks like Williams manned the right (weak) side. That's likely why his output was so good so early this year. But I never found a link or report documenting that - just the gamebooks.

I've been smacked around all year for saying that the Falcons could well make room for Williams by letting Brooking or Hartwell walk in the summer of 2006. Both guys are signed long term but will see big increases in base salary over the next couple of seasons. And the writing may have been on the wall when they drafted two young LB this past year, including Michael Boley.

Obviously if that happens, Demorrio will be in prime position to remain an absolute stud. Even if both Hartwell and Brooking return, a return to the righty/lefty alignment may be likely. And Williams did well there.

One caveat though. Williams is small. He's tailed off a bit in the second half. Whether he's worn down or offenses have adjusted their blocking schemes a bit (I've heard this stated but not seen it the past two weeks in primetime) remains to be seen.

Bottom line. I think he's a lower tier LB1 top LB2 for 2006. But, like with so many other players last summer, we'll have to hope he's not the victim of a nasty position change.

I kind of figured he would stay at WLB because he is small...or at least the Falcons would go to a left/right alignment and eliminate the WLB/SLB position. It seems like Williams gets most of his tackles while playing in a nickle package on passing downs. While watching the Bears/Falcons game, there was so much congestion at the line of scrimmage that he was near every tackle but couldn't do much because of his size. I think he will have a solid season next year, but not like the season he had this year.How about the Seattle situation? Will Hill be a sleeper LB for the 'hawks? I know Lufa is a stud but I have heard good things about Hill.

 

[inbreeder]

How about the Seattle situation? Will Hill be a sleeper LB for the 'hawks? I know Lufa is a stud but I have heard good things about Hill.

Hill is very similar to Demorrio Williams. About the same smallish size (6'1", 225-230), and maybe only a hair slower. A lot of Hill's value is due to the Hawks' defensive scheme. Ray Rhodes likes to bring the LBs in pass rush and Hill has been the primary beneficiary with 7 sacks. Lofa has four. No reason for Hill not to claim a starting gig in 2006. Sharper wasn't getting it for whatever reason even before his injury and DD Lewis isn't talented enough to keep Hill off the field either. He'll start at one of the OLB slots.Rhodes may not be back next year, but the favorable scheme likely will given its success this season. With the emergence of Bernard and Tubbs this year, the Hawks should have the linemen to keep the big guys off of Hill and Tatupu and allow both to rack up some nice tackle numbers as well.Hill should be a nice guy to have around in 2006, maybe mid to high LB2 quality if all breaks right.

 

[stevec]

I see almost all of the Seahawks & Eagles games, especially when they don't conflict, so I'll chime in on Hill.Hill is also playing in the nickel. I have every confidence he's starting next year at OLB, and is playing the nickel with Tatupu.