Eyes Of the Guru - Preseason Update

  Posted 8/19 by John Norton - Exclusive to Footballguys.com

The first week of preseason games are in the book and as usual there were a lot of questions answered and a lot of new ones to ask. I didn't have time to look at all the games and still get this out in time for it to be of use but tried to hit most of the important situations. Special thanks to Jene Bramel who was my eyes on several of these games. Here are our notes from preseason week one.

Lions vs Falcons

The Lions seem to be playing right and left OLB rather than strong weak. Ernie Sims is working on the left which is most often the strong side, with Julian Peterson on the right. While that is not great news for Sims owners, it could be worse. At least he is staying on the field with Larry Foote in passing situations. You may want to slide Sims down a few slots but we should definitely bump Foote up our boards significantly. With this news as he becomes the favorite to lead the club in tackles.

There had been rumblings that Julian Peterson would put his hand down in passing situations. When Jared DeVries was injured it made that seem even more likely. Peterson left the field on passing down in this game while Jason Hunter (not Cliff Avril) lined up at left DE on what I believe was every snap of the first two series and beyond. The good news for Avril owners is that Hunter looked very ordinary.

Louis Delmas sat this one out and Kalvin Pearson made some nice plays at SS. The Lions like him so with the cover two gone and Daniel Bullocks battling an injury, we should probably take a longer look at Pearson. Especially if he continues to look good.

Things were basically as expected with the Falcons. Peterson looked very comfortable playing at WLB and pairing with Lofton in the nickel. He got close to Culpepper on a couple of blitzes and looked very good getting off blocks to make plays. The Falcons are expecting him to provide some leadership and Peterson is looking to prove the Jaguars made a mistake. With his quality play and the added big play opportunity we should probably bump Peterson up a little also.

We knew before the game that with William Moore hurt, Thomas DeCoud was going to start at safety. This game confirmed that DeCoud is working at FS with Eric Coleman at SS. This is great news for Coleman's box score production. He's a player who has been largely overlooked in the drafts I've seen and will be a steal if you can get him in the second half of your draft.

Bengals Vs Saints

It was a good news/bad news situation for those of us sitting Bengals IDPs. The good news for Roy Williams owners is that he started at SS as expected and remained on the field in passing situations. The later being the key question we all needed to have answered. On the flip side of that coin, Chinedum Ndukwe was forced to sit patiently as Chris Crocker got the call and saw every down action at FS. I am still a firm believer that Ndukwe is the best all around safety on this squad but at this point it looks as if he could be out of a starting job for a while.

At linebacker the good news is that Keith Rivers remained on the field with Dhani Jones in the nickel packages. Last season he was replaced by Brandon Johnson in passing situation which crippled his production. Rivers was very active in this game and looks ready to step up. The bad news here is that Rey Maualuga is a little banged up, so we still don't know for certain what role everyone will have when they are at full strength. Hopefully Maualuga can get on the field in time for next week's contest. The word out of camp before he was dinged was that he has proven much better in coverage than expected. That opening the door for the possibility of his staying at MLB and pushing Jones for an every down role. A lot can happen in three weeks so stay tuned.

When the Bengals signed Tank Johnson he was initially expected to be the third man in the DT rotation but Johnson has played his way into the lineup ahead of Pat Sims. Johnson is a more explosive playmaker and an upgrade over Sims in the pass rush. If he can hold onto what looked to be an every down role, Johnson could be a worthy free agent target early in the years for those in tackle required leagues. In the base defense Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers were at end with Domata Peko and Tank Johnson at tackle. When they went to the nickel Peko left the field, Odom slid inside and rookie Michael Johnson lined up at end. The good news being that after posting only 17 sacks last year, they were able to pressure Brees a little while the starters were in.

All was basically as anticipated for the Saints. No surprise starters with the exception of the corner positions where Jabari Greer and Randall Gay got the call because the club didn't want to take any chances with Tracy Porter who is a little gimpy and coming off a major injury. After reporting late to camp Malcom Jenkins still needs to work his way up the depth chart.

The players who stood out most among the starters were Jonathan Vilma and Roman Harper, who seemed to be more comfortable and quicker to react than last season. Both guys are now two years removed from knee injuries and playing a more aggressive style of defense under new DC Greg Williams seems to sit well with them. If the glimpse we got in this game is a sign of things to come, these two could be poised for a big year.

One guy we need to keep an eye on is reclamation project Anthony Hargrove. He has drawn a lot of praise from the coaching staff during camp and is a versatile player with a lot of upside. Hargrove lined up along side Rod Coleman (who is another reclamation project) at tackle in the nickel package against the Bengals, and has a real shot at the starting job over the first four weeks if Charles Grant and Will Smith are serving a suspension as expected.

Seahawks Vs Chargers

There were some surprises in this game, particularly up front for the Seahawks where Cory Redding started opposite Patrick Kerney at DE with Colin Cole and Brandon Mebane at DT. In the first quarter Darryl Tapp saw action only in the nickel package when Redding slid inside and Cole came off the field. In the second series Redding was replaced in the base defense by last years first round pick Lawrence Jackson but Redding returned to play tackle on passing downs. We will need to keep an eye on this one next week but right now it doesn't look good for Tapp owners. Mebane is lining up as the 3 technique tackle and looked strong for tackle required leagues, while Redding is looking like a nice sleeper in those leagues if he continues to see significant time at end.

Rookie Aaron Curry is expected to put his hand down and rush in some passing situation but that didn't happen against the Chargers, At least not in the first quarter while the starters were in. Instead Curry took a seat on passing downs while Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill manned the LB positions in the nickel. While this is bad news for Curry owners and good news for those who grabbed Hill in the late rounds, there is another interesting twist to the story. When Curry was on the field he was lining up at WLB. If he can find a way into the nickel package and be an every down player it will be a huge boost to his value. A lot can happen over a three week span in the preseason so we'll be keeping an eye on this situation.

Marcus Trufant continues to sit out with a back injury so Josh Wilson got the start at corner. If Trufant can't get back on the field, Wilson will have a ton of value in corner required leagues.

Stephen Cooper sat this one out so Kevin Burnett started at the WILB position. He wasn't particularly flashy in this game but has apparently impressed the coaching staff enough to land a full time job. It was reported on Tuesday Burnett will slide over to strong ILB and has bumped Tim Dobbins out of the lineup. Stephen Cooper is expected to return this week and should continue to be the box score headliner but Burnett will be an every down player and could be fairly productive.

Clinton Hart got the start at SS and made a couple of nice plays. He looked very good last season before nagging injuries slowed him. Don't be surprised if he takes a big bite out of Eric Weddle's tackle numbers and emerges as a solid DB3 option.

Redskins Vs Ravens

No real surprises here from the Ravens. They opened in a 4-3 with Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata at DT, Trevor Pryce at one end and rookie Paul Kruger standing in for Terrell Suggs at the other. When they shifted to the 3-4 (which they didn't do often in the first quarter of this game) Kruger went to OLB, Ngata DE and Kelly NT. Pretty much the status quo for this group.

As anticipated Tavares Gooden got the start at ILB. He appears to still be in the drivers seat in the battle to replace Bart Scott, but Jameel McClain and Dannell Ellerbe continue to make noise. After the first series McClain entered the game in place of Ray Lewis. McClain looked OK but didn't do anything to make you say wow.

The Redskins didn't throw us any curves either. In the first series Phillip Daniels and later Renaldo Wynn worked at end in the base package opposite Andre Carte, with Brian Orakpo at SLB on base downs and DE in the nickel. When the second units were playing Orakpo saw some action at end on early downs as well. He seems to be making a smooth transition from his college position of DE to his new role as the everywhere man. Orakpo was all over the field in this game. Unfortunately his contributions often weren't the kind that would show up in the box scores.

Raiders Vs Cowboys

The big stink for the past couple of weeks has been the so called competition between Kirk Morrison and Ricky Brown for the MLB position. The club took a look at Brown in the middle and will likely continue to give him a little preseason work there, but the Raiders opened against the Cowboys with Morrison in the middle and Brown back at SLB where he played nearly all of last season. Brown worked at MLB with the second units and looked pretty strong. It's a situation that we need to keep a close eye on for the next couple of games but I don't believe there will be a change unless Morrison is injured. If it is going to happen I would expect it before the final preseason game. What this could spell is an end to Morrison's stay in Oakland when his contract runs out after this season

As expected the trade of Derrick Burgess has opened the door for Trevor Scott to join Greg Ellis as the starting ends. Ellis batted a pass into Romo's face on the first play but both guys were pretty quiet after that. The Raiders defense however, looked inspired in general and there were a lot more stunts/blitz's being called than in previous years. I really like the chances of both these guys.

With Michael Mitchell banged up the battle for the SS job appears to be over for now. Tyvon Branch started against Dallas and played a traditional in the box SS role. He didn't do anything special but remains an excellent last round sleeper in a position that has traditionally been very box score friendly. The front seven kept Cowboys runners out of the secondary for the most part so Branch didn't have a lot of opportunity in this game. Don't expect that to happen every week.

The only real question that needed answered about the Cowboys was how the playing time would be broken down at ILB. Against the Raiders it was Bradie James and Keith Brooking in the base defense with James staying where he was during last year's breakout season. Brooking exited stage left in the nickel package which featured James and Bobby Carpenter. Unless something changes here, it looks as if James should continue to be very productive while Brookings' stock continues to drop. The good news for those who have already picked up Brooking is that he was allowed to blitz a couple of times. Don't discard him too quickly but don't hesitate to do so if he gets off to a slow start in September.

Vikings Vs Colts

As expected Clint Session started at WLB with Phillip Wheeler on the strong side. Session remained on the field in the nickel packages and remains one of our favorite LB sleepers. His number wasn't called to blitz in the short time the starters were on the field but as promised the Colts did send their linebackers a few times in this game.

Just like last season Chad Greenway worked at SLB in the base defense but remained on the field in the nickel. The starters didn't play long enough for us to be certain that he will be in on all passing downs so the chance remains that Greenway could share nickel snaps with Ben Leber.

Texans Vs Chiefs

Derrick Johnson worked at the more productive weak ILB position and played well. Jene continues to contend that Johnson is seriously undervalued in his new role. I'm not yet on that band wagon but then I was a little slow to come around on D.J. Williams a couple of years back (that one cost me a Whopper and fries). Bernard Pollard worked exclusively at SS and no longer seems to be in any danger of loosing his starting job to Mike Brown.

Xavier Adibi and DeMeco Ryans were the nickel linebackers for the Texans with Brian Cushing taking a seat in most passing situations. That's a very bad bounce for Cushing owners but don't give up hope yet. Dominique Barber got the start at SS and is worthy of consideration as a late round sleeper.

Buccaneers Vs Titans

Jermaine Phillips looked pretty good at WLB but the suspension of FS Tanard Jackson could spell a return to safety for at least the first four games. They are much deeper at LB than safety but are not without other options. Sabby Piscitelli had a strong game with a couple of nice hits, an open field tackle and a pick in the end zone. His long term stock continues to rise.

Bears Vs Bills

The Bears pulled a surprise move and started Kevin Payne at FS against Buffalo with Al Afalave getting the call at SS. This could spell disaster for Payne's box score production but we shouldn't panic just yet. The Bears like to look at all their options before making decisions. If Payne is still at FS in two weeks it will be time to become concerned. Meanwhile we should take a look at Afalave just in case.

Browns Vs Packers

D'Qwell Jackson gets the all important nod at the WILB position and should be the Browns leading tackler. There is however, room for optimism for owners who drafted Eric Barton. Both he and Jackson are staying on the field in passing situations. The Browns starters didn't look good against Green Bay so don't be surprised if both of these guys have good seasons. Abram Elam seems to have settled in as the starting SS. He should have a lot of opportunity in a position that has been very productive over the past couple of years.

Jets Vs Rams

The starters didn't play long enough for me to figure out what they were keying on, but it appeared that David Harris and Bart Scott each took snaps at both ILB position. Harris looked very strong including a sack of Aaron Rogers. Meanwhile Scott was pretty much invisible. I may be proven wrong but I believe Scott is over rated.

Most people expected Leonard Little to server as a pass rush specialist but the Rams apparently think otherwise. Not only did he start but Little recorded a sack and a forced fumble while playing an every down role. He's long in the tooth but if he can stay healthy it will be no surprise to see 40 tackles and 8-10 sacks. James Laurinaitas was not in the nickel on the first series but was there on the second and beyond. This kid is a tackling machine and my early pick to become defensive rookie of the year. Will Witherspoon looked like his old self. He's healthy at last and looked good at WLB in a full time role

Broncos Vs 49ers

Andra Davis is working in a 2 down role at ILB with Wesley Woodyard replacing him in the nickel. That should keep Davis down around the 75-80 tackle mark and he's never been much of a big play threat. Mario Haggan was a surprise starter at OLB but didn't do anything to help his cause. The club will continue to look at several options to fill that position. Elvis Dumervil looked excellent at the other OLB spot. The seems to be adjusting very well to the new assignment. Lets stop short of comparing him to Demarcus Ware just yet but the first impression was a very good one.

After splitting time between end and OLB last season, Justin Smith work exclusively at DE against Denver and is expected to continue doing so. This is crushing news for his box score outlook and reason enough to drop Smith significantly on our draft boards.

Giants Vs Panthers

Tyler Brayton started at end opposite Julius Peppers but moved inside in the nickel with prized rookie Everett Brown coming on as a rush specialist. With the injury to starting tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu, it would come as no surprise to see Brayton move inside on a permanent basis, making room for Brown to start at end.

Patriots Vs Eagles

Joe Mays got the call at MLB for the Eagles and remained on the field in the nickel package most of the time. Omar Gaither did get a few MLB snaps including a little nickel action. The jury is still out on this one though and the Patriots spread offense doesn't provide us with a very good measuring stick for this situation. At this point I still believe that Akeem Jordan is the best of the Philly LB prospects.

The Patriots surprisingly came out in a 4-3 and other than a few plays, stayed with it. There has been some rumblings that New England might be turning to a predominately 4-3 base defense this season. The recent trade for Derrick Burgess lends even more credibility to the rumors. He didn't play much if at all in this game but could end up starting opposite Richard Seymour who worked exclusively at DE while he was in this game. We need to keep a close eye on this one as Seymour could be a sneaky late round pickup if this is going to be the plan for the season.

That's all I'm going to have time for this week. Hopefully Jene and I will get back with a few more answers next week.

Best of luck!