Not really, at all. It's from how Smith is wasted in a mostly-ILB role right now. When Schmidt was playing they freed up Jaylon some more to attack and he made some great plays, but even then he's largely wasted. His skills do not fit what he's currently asked to do.
Yes, really. I don't understand how 111 tackles, 9 TFL, 3.5 sacks, and 7 QB hurries is mostly/largely a waste. Freeing up Jaylon is the whole point of him playing WILL, as it is in almost every 4-3 defense. He was able to put up that production--with all those injuries and the front not being able to consistently keep him unblocked--think of what he could do with a healthy defense eating blocks and letting him get to the ball.
In most 4-3 defenses, absolutely. With how BVG ran the defense last year, this is incorrect on many levels.
There's a reason--and the staff talked about it a lot before the season--why Jaylon was moved to WILL.
Not really, it's all variations of outside linebacking.
It's another position switch. Let's not poo poo the impact.
Not how BVG uses it, it's not.
It is when we play a team with a lot of beef on offense. While Onwualu may be lighter than Jaylon he's packs more punch and physicality.
Exactly, but that wouldn't be the case with Jaylon. He'd be able to play more reps there, and when you're forced to go nickel then you can slide him back to WILL for that type of down because in that situation it actually makes sense for him to play WILL.
This is not a convincing argument, especially since he doesn't fit WILL but 'could move back there anyway' in nickel situations. Seems like a lot of jerking around of your most talented defender.
How exactly is eliminating the TE with blanket coverage allowing your DBs to do XYZ without worrying about that player a waste? And alternatively, he rushes the passer out of that spot.
Plenty of reasons. Some teams don't use a tight end all that much. Other teams don't really have a threatening tight end. If an offense goes 4-wide you're (more often) turning Jaylon into a glorified defensive back, or making him set the edge (more often) and get eaten up by blocks. Moreover, we saw in 2013 what teams will do when Jaylon is outside the tackles. It's tantalizing to think of him as a terror pass rusher from SAM but not so much when he's covering a pass catcher while disappearing from games and never around the ball for whole quarters at a time---for example, kind of what happened with Onwualu when he was on the field.
Not really, it makes him much easier to account for. You run right at him and take him out with a blocker because he isn't going to be the strongest at point of attack. Right now, playing "inside out" means getting swallowed up or overrunning the play.
I don't think it's a fair argument to assume Jaylon is moving because no one in front of him is going to do their job. Have the defensive front keep blocks off Jaylon and he's best suited at WILL.
Rushing the passer is a huge freaking deal on defense. This isn't small potatoes. And counting on a guy who is a true frosh and another who will at minimum be providing "depth" at safety to 'bring a lot to the table' doesn't make a lot of sense. Especially because in a variable defense there is no reason why he can't flop back and forth between SAM and WILL on a given down.
Rushing the passer is a huge deal. Guess who tied for the lead in sacks and led the team in tackles for loss from the WILL position last year?
And why doesn't it make sense to rely on your 5th-year senior who started at nickel?
Jaylon is fully capable of 120+ tackles, half a dozen sacks, and 15 TFL's next year from the WILL position. That's moderate to good improvement for him next year. I highly doubt the staff moves their best athlete from WILL, with Schmidt injured, and with the nickel position having experience.
