TigerTeacher2007 said:
does it worry you?
I've heard a lot about your DL and it's potential to be good. However, from an outsider's perpsective (and one that doesn't know as much about your guys as obviously you do)...
I see a DL that struggled to rush the passer last season, losing it's top sack leader, with an inexperienced LB corps behind it.
What happens on the 30th? How will you get pressure, and what'll happen if you don't?
I think we are all asking the same questions over here. I look at success upfront as relative to the lack any over the past two years. I'm not sure where we ranked in terms of sacks and pressures but I am sure we were in the bottom third of the SEC over those two ugly years. This year, however, we return some guys that
DO have both the size and speed up front to get an upfield surge and a few incoming guys that we hope are ready to contribute. How we get pressure depends on our Noseguard and his ability to draw double teams every play and we have high hopes that T Cody, along with J Chapman and L Washington can get that done.
They do not need to get sacks, just take up blockers. We also need our Corners to play man and lock it down. Kareem Jackson is that player, I hope Alonzo Lawrence can step up and get it done on the other side. If these two things can happen then we can pin the tails back on the edges and stunt inside. If we don't then C Harper is good enough and has weapons aplenty to hurt us. Saban does not play bend don't break so we will take chances and hope we don't get burned, time will tell. However, I think getting to the QB is a major area of focus from our staff and players and playing the first game of the year against an inexperienced Clemson OLine and a team that was prone to getting sackedlast year, like Clemson was, is advantageous for us. I think we might even look better than we really are since it is early in the year and we won't be hampered by injuries which could expose (later in the year) just how closely we titter on the edge of being too thin and young up front. RTR.