Defensive line: this year, the defense finished 7th against the run as opposed to 26th against the run last year, and a BIG (no pun intended) reason was because of the NEW #97 Broderick Bunkley: Bunkley got mean in the off-season, converting from #78 to the number Darwin Walker had before he was traded to Buffalo and collected 31 total tackles (24 solo) and three sacks, and Trent Cole had a HUGE season, and one that should have had him considered for the pro bowl as he finished with 70 total tackle to lead the line and finished with 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. Mike Patterson continued to build off of a solid rookie season and a better sophomore season, as he picked up 67 total tackles, including a line high 50 solo, and 4.5 sacks with one forced fumble. The fourth spot up front was manned early in the season by Jevon Kearse who started off strong enough with 12 tackles and four sacks, but he became so invisible that the team de-activated him, which should be a telling sign of where he is next year, coupled with the fact that Juqua Thomas took his starting job: Thomas had 39 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. Montae Reagor, the first man off the bench at tackle, started off very strong with a pair of tackles and a sack in the first few games, but then disappeared, as did LaJuan Ramsey (one tackle) and Kimo Von Olhoffen (two tackles) while Ian Scott never got to make an impact. At end, Darren Howard concluded his second season as an Eagle with eight tackles and a sack while Victor Abiamiri had three tackles but was pretty much not seen or heard from.
GRADE-COLE: A (96%)
GRADE-PATTERSON AND BUNKLEY: A (93%)
GRADE-THOMAS: A- (90%)
GRADE-KEARSE: D+ (68%)
Linebackers: questions flew after the release of the “Axe-Man” Jeremiah Trotter as to who would replace him: when the name Omar Gaither came up, many questioned how a guy that only started six games in 2006 at WILL linebacker could replace JT. Well, you CAN’T replace him, but I hope he has at least answered the question as to if he is capable of playing in the middle or not: Gaither led the team with 102 total tackles (69 solo and 33 assist) and while he didn’t have a sack, he collected an interception and could have had another if he hadn’t dropped it against the Seahawks. Chris Gocong, who had his rookie campaign wiped out in 2006, started at SAM linebacker in week one and went on to collect 66 tackles to place 5th on the team and he also collected a sack, which doesn’t take into account his pass rushing skills. Takeo Spikes, who was acquired for the crying Walker in March, didn’t play like he did back when he first left Cincinnati for Buffalo, but he did much better then a
ny other linebacker we have had at WILL in a VERY LONG time as he posted 86 tackles (64 solo and 22 assist) recorded one sack, and had at LEAST two sure fire interceptions that he dropped. Stewart Bradley, who was the team’s 2B pick in the 3rd round this year and the main competition for Gocong at SAM, really came to play in week 16 and earned some time in week 17, posting 18 tackles, a sack, and a diving interception for the year, and Akeem Jordan, who started in the final game of the year with Spikes out, collected 20 tackles: Pago Togafau, who was claimed off of waivers from Arizona before the season opener, collected six tackles, most of them if not all of them were on special teams.
GRADE-GAITHER: A- (90%)
GRADE-SPIKES: B+ (88%)
GRADE-GOCONG: B- (80%)
GRADE-BRADLEY & JORDAN: C+ (78%)
Secondary: Sheldon Brown came up with quite possibly a pro bowl season but no credit for it (what a surprise) as he led the secondary with 68 tackles (an impressive 61 of them solo) and had a recovered and forced fumble and also led the team with three interceptions. His roommate and buddy Lito Sheppard missed a few games due to injury and even when he got back in he wasn’t his usual self as he collected 51 tackles and two interceptions: Joselio Hanson improved from dime to the nickel roll and collected a career best 52 tackles and a sack against the Jets in week six, William James, the biggest joke this side of Philly, collected 31 tackles and an interception while Nick Graham had 11 tackles. Quintin Mikell, who stepped in and played both free safety during the injury to Brian Dawkins and strong safety when Sean Considine went on the IR, led safeties with 74 tackles (52 solo and 22 assist) and had a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception: Dawkins, who really never got ov
er his various injuries to his usual self, had 37 tackles and an interception at the Cowboys in week 15, while Considine had 35 tackles and a pick before his shoulder injury ended his season, and JR Reed, another Mikell who played both spots, collected 31 hits, most of them also like Mikell hard and bone crushing (see week 17 on the Bills’ Lee Evans).
GRADE-BROWN: A (95%)
GRADE-MIKELL: A- (90%)
GRADE-SHEPPARD & REED: B (85%)
GRADE-HANSON: B- (80%)
GRADE-DAWKINS: C+ (79%)
GRADE-CONSIDINE: C (76%)
GRADE-JAMES: D- (60%)
Next up is Special Teams and Coaching.
