2011 Starting Defensive 11

[NewEnglandGuy]

Hard to add to this discussion as everyone has already touched on the major points but I will give it a try.

It is obvious what the spots are that will be fun to watch in camp: DT, DOG and WILL backers, and Free Safety (DE will just be fun watching all that talent, but KLM and EJ have just too much experience with their talents to make it a competition).

DT: H Williams, Cwynar, Nix
-Cwynar is coming off foot and back surgery but took over as the starter when Ian went down. Hafis is a flexable player at either DE or DT but with Schwenke, Tuitt, and Lynch primed and available for minutes, he may be best used here. It is only a matter of time for Nix to take over the position, conditioning will be the limiting factor on how many snaps he sees.

DOG: Filer, Fox, Shembo, Utopo, Councell
-We have all been waiting for Filer to emerge. Last year at one point preseason he was listed as the starter (but it seems I remember a revolving door on who was listed as the starter preseason, maybe for players confidences who knows). In the bowl game he was the backup to Neal and will see PT if not start. It will be interesting to see where Shembo and Utopo fall. If Councell shows he needs to redshirt due to strength and weight in fall camp, the depth here will be thin enough for the staff to try them both at DOG. Shembo looks like a better prospect as a CAT...but so does IShaq and Rabasa.

Will: Carlo, McDonald, Moore, Spond, Shembo, Utopo
-I wish Brian Smith had a 5th year. He played great taking over for Carlo. The staff may see the weaknesses of his game more now after watching Smith dominate the last month. Moore has plenty of hype coming in and McDonald played every snap in the bowl game after Manti went down. Again maybe Shembo and Utopo slide inside to see PT if no one can win this job outright.

Free Safety: Motta, Slaughter
-Fans are pegging Slaughter to be the starter as he was on opening day of 2010, but it was Motta that started in the bowl game to end the season. The injury really slowed down Slaughter's season and time to gain game day experience. Hopefully the surgery to repair it will not slow down his development anymore this spring.

Guys up in the air for positions and true definitions of Skill, Big Skill and Power:
Massa, Riddick (though by moving Jackson and Collinsworth the talent and depth at the WR position would take a serious hit moving him too), Heggie, Carrico, Springmann, Niklas, Stockton, Fox, Shembo, Utopo, Farley, and Hardy.

Spring ball will be a ton of fun.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I have been stewing about this exact thing for awhile now, and can't see the answer. Some thoughts are, well, controversial. But to give it a fling for fun. I am assuming that we're talking about the fall season rather than who comes out of spring.

To take the easy part first: The defensive backfield is set. Gray, Blanton, Smith, and....whoa, not so fast, my friend....Motta. Slaughter gets a lot of time and it's almost as if he and Motta are sharing the position. They essentially do, as Slaughter is safety and Motta the nickel in those cases. "Somebodies" get an unusual amount of sub time during the season to prepare for the following year, but I think it is Brown and Hardy, rather than Wood or Jackson.

Defensive line: what a logjam!!! There are at least three playable D-lines. The vets: Johnson/Cwynar/KLM---a pretty good crew. The back-ups: HWilliams/Stockton/Schwenke---not bad especially on the ends. And the Rooks: Tuitt/Nix/Lynch---gulp. Gotta get most of these guys in the game somehow. But who starts??? Horrible guess: Diaco honors the harder-working-than-usual-because-of-pressure-from-the-kids veterans. Johnson, Cwynar,KLM start and bust their butts while looking over their shoulders. But Nix and Tuitt MUST play, probably Schwenke too, and fourthly Lynch. Both Nix and Tuitt take over as starters as games progress despite what the vets do, which is very good. Ouch!!! What a chaotic crystal ball!!

And linebacker...Te'o, OK. Fleming is not going to be beaten out either---but by him staying put, Shembo cannot start, nor can IWilliams, and both have to get in there. Carlo loses his job, despite mighty efforts. Someone more athletic takes over. Could be Moore. Could be Spond. Grace and even Rabasa may get a look. Let's go with Moore, although an intuition says Spond. [Brian Smith's speed there looked better than others' mass in the latter games]. And now the outside play-in-space guy. We don't have one who's proved anything. You guys all say Filer, but I doubt it. So, I say, ...wait for it...Councell. There, I've said it. Remove me from the list of sane predictors. [But we're just funnin' ain't we??]

 

[irishandy]

---------KLM--------Nix---------EJ----------
Shembo-----Carlo-----Teo-----Flemming
Blanton-----Smith-----Slaughter-----Gray

Significant PT: Schwenke Filer Motta Lo Wood Hardy Lynch Tuitt Cwynar Ishaq McDonald Moore

I like what you have for your defense, but I would also add Rabasa for PT.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

You guys have all missed the obvious. Heggie.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

---------KLM--------Nix---------EJ----------
Shembo-----Carlo-----Teo-----Flemming
Blanton-----Smith-----Slaughter-----Gray

Significant PT: Schwenke Filer Motta Lo Wood Hardy Lynch Tuitt Cwynar Ishaq McDonald Moore

Discuss.

---------KLM--------Cwyner---------EJ----------
Filer-----Moore-----Teo-----Flemming
Blanton-----Smith-----Motta-----Gray

Significant PT: Schwenke, Shembo, Slaughter (Nickle Back), Lo Wood (Dime Back), Brown, Lynch, Tuitt, Nix, Carlo, McDonald, Fox and Terry you left out Hafis!

 

[johnnykillz]

You guys have all missed the obvious. Heggie.

Heggie!

 

[InKellyITrust]

I'm confused how not everyone has included Ishaq as getting significant playing time. He was college ready before he enrolled and with the spring/summer to spend in the weightroom and on the practice field. I can't wait to watch this kid.

 

[mick2]

i can see all of these situatins and id be ok with all of them, i havent been this excited about defense ever!

TT nailed it with the starting lineup, and rotation, some of these freshman are just going to have to sit, whether they like it or not, you can't get everyone on the field.

i think tuitt and williams will get serious pt. and lynch may threaten to as well, but im sure kelly would like to have a year for bulking with most of these guys, especially with 2012 coming.

i know shembo and schwenke played a lil last year, any other freshman chip in on d?

 

[Old Man Mike]

I think that the wisemen of the board need to tell the rest of us about linebackers again. I'll put the initial ignorance out there and someone can enlighten us.

I have been hearing for months that our outside linebackers are quite different from one another. One is more "crash" and one is more "skate". We have a pretty good Crasher [CAT] in Fleming, who is becoming a sack-master in his own right. Shembo seems to be a very good Crasher as well. Ishaq Williams seems to be a Crasher. Rabasa looks like a Crasher. That sounds like a tough crew to get a lot of playing time for.

On the other side, our Skater [Neal] graduated. So did Smith who sometimes was thought to be the guy. The board likes Filer, despite the fact that the staff seems at least somewhat to disagree. Unless Spond or Councell show up there, it seems we are at a deficit at Skater/Dog/Drop. Yet all sorts of commentary on this list seems to ignore these alleged positional differences and cram two CATs into the Dog spot.

I need some help understanding this guys. What's really possible with the CAT and the DOG???

 

[Ben E.]

Who was the OLB that was the "coverage" backer last year? thanks in advance...

 

[Rocket89]

As far as I'm aware, we started out with B. Smith at Dog and Flemming at Cat.

Flemming started every game at Cat and B. Smith was sharing time with Neal at Dog.

When Carlo went down, B. Smith moved inside and Neal took over at Dog.

I think this is right, right??

It does appear we have an abundance of Cat LB's versus Dog LB's. That's why I think Councell has a good shot at a lot of playing time since he's the picture perfect Dog player.

Rabasa is a mysterious guy because his explosiveness off the ball makes him a Cat, but he's also probably athletic enough to play Dog too (although I believe the coaches want someone taller and lankier there i.e. Councell). I believe Brooks said on signing day he thinks Rabasa might even move to the middle at some point in the future.

I have to think that Ishaq will get a look at both Cat and Dog, mostly because he's in for spring and has the size and athleticism to play both. I can see him being the backup to Flemming at Cat, or maybe even pushing for minutes if Filer (or someone else) struggles at the Dog position.