How’s this defense look next year

[Bullwhip Griffith]

DE Karlaftis
NT Neal
DT Watts
Leo Barnes

OLB Graham
ILB Jones
OLB Alexander

CB Majors (bounceback season)
FS Allen
SS Grant
CB Trice

Key back ups:

DL Hunter, Johnson, Fecheux
LB Falenski Saunders
DB Mackey, Thienemann, Beverly

Maybe one of the better lines since 2009

Very athletic DB group that hopefully progresses. Major seemed to struggle but that may have been the scheme.

Linebackers a concern, so hopefully playing time will pay off for the younger guys, the guys that did RS show something (Wahlberg could be a steal), and JuCo help coming

 

[nat100]

Youre benching Mackey? He was our most complete corner this year.

 

[Bullwhip Griffith]

Youre benching Mackey? He was our most complete corner this year.

You keep running your mouth and you’ll be on the bench too.

That’s a hard position to pick two...they seem to rotate a bit anyway...I would almost call all three starters.

I just hope Majors can bounce back. Rough year and I hope, as you pointed out, it was a scheme/coaching issue.

 

[FLAG HUNTER]

If the line had trouble stopping the run, and linebackers are too small, why not put Barnes at inside linebacker and a bigger player at the Leo position

 

[Bullwhip Griffith]

If the line had trouble stopping the run, and linebackers are too small, why not put Barnes at inside linebacker and a bigger player at the Leo position

Barnes has trouble in space. He’d stop the run but get killed in pass coverage

 

[nips18]

If the line had trouble stopping the run, and linebackers are too small, why not put Barnes at inside linebacker and a bigger player at the Leo position

Barnes was too good at getting to the QB to move from LEO. The LBs will be better if Neal is healthy and able to take up two blockers.

 

[nat100]

If the line had trouble stopping the run, and linebackers are too small, why not put Barnes at inside linebacker and a bigger player at the Leo position

You immediately take a position of strength and turn it into two positions of weakness.

 

[nips18]

They will add at least one juco LB.

 

[nips18]

You may want to include Sullivan and Deen in the depth since they were rotational as R-Fr

 

[BlkGoldHoops]

DE Karlaftis
NT Neal
DT Watts
Leo Barnes

OLB Graham
ILB Jones
OLB Alexander

CB Majors (bounceback season)
FS Allen
SS Grant
CB Trice

Key back ups:

DL Hunter, Johnson, Fecheux
LB Falenski Saunders
DB Mackey, Thienemann, Beverly

Maybe one of the better lines since 2009

Very athletic DB group that hopefully progresses. Major seemed to struggle but that may have been the scheme.

Linebackers a concern, so hopefully playing time will pay off for the younger guys, the guys that did RS show something (Wahlberg could be a steal), and JuCo help coming

Might wanna pencil in another ILB . You know what Jones injury was this year? Yeah, me neither.

 

[SIBoiler2]

Who you pencilling in as the DC?

 

[nips18]

Who you pencilling in as the DC?

Nick Holt

 

[IUhaterade]

DE Karlaftis
NT Neal
DT Watts
Leo Barnes

OLB Graham
ILB Jones
OLB Alexander

CB Majors (bounceback season)
FS Allen
SS Grant
CB Trice

Key back ups:

DL Hunter, Johnson, Fecheux
LB Falenski Saunders
DB Mackey, Thienemann, Beverly

Maybe one of the better lines since 2009

Very athletic DB group that hopefully progresses. Major seemed to struggle but that may have been the scheme.

Linebackers a concern, so hopefully playing time will pay off for the younger guys, the guys that did RS show something (Wahlberg could be a steal), and JuCo help coming

Hudgins??

Also... we have a “Major” ... not a “Majors”

 

[ImRonBurgandy?]

Posted something similar on another thread, but yeah LB is a huge question mark. No one with size and ability that has proven themselves. In a perfect scenario, Graham bulks up to 235ish, Jones comes back with vengence, alexander takes a Big step, and a Couple of frosh turned sophs make a huge impact.

Secondary and DL are exciting to think about though.

 

[CDBRclass01]

You keep running your mouth and you’ll be on the bench too.

That’s a hard position to pick two...they seem to rotate a bit anyway...I would almost call all three starters.

I just hope Majors can bounce back. Rough year and I hope, as you pointed out, it was a scheme/coaching issue.

Trice very exploitable with quick receivers

 

[nat100]

Trice very exploitable with quick receivers

Dude is a boundary corner. Still the second best corner we had

 

[jmohlman]

Might wanna pencil in another ILB . You know what Jones injury was this year? Yeah, me neither.

What was the Jones injury?

 

[CDBRclass01]

Dude is a boundary corner. Still the second best corner we had

Mackey ..

He may be on the boundary.. his high center of gravity was twisted like a pretzel more than once

 

[ImRonBurgandy?]

Trice very exploitable with quick receivers

Trice was recruited as a safety, so Still learning position. I like Trice a lot, not totally sure he is a CB but I think we need him on the field.

 

[CDBRclass01]

Trice was recruited as a safety, so Still learning position. I like Trice a lot, not totally sure he is a CB but I think we need him on the field.

Him being very tall for the position and thus being subject to double moves and quick cuts isn’t something you learn away. He should go back to safety

 

[SIBoiler2]

Nick Holt

He's definitely on the hot seat next season if be has improved depth and personnel and still produces the same results.

 

[Purdue85]

He's definitely on the hot seat next season if be has improved depth and personnel and still produces the same results.

Has there been something from Brohm to that effect? I don't recall any comments on coaching performance, but might have missed it.

 

[purduepat1969]

Barnes has trouble in space. He’d stop the run but get killed in pass coverage

Then you run nickel in obvious passing situations. And BTW, he couldn't be much worse than Ben Holt in coverage/space...

 

[purduepat1969]

Barnes was too good at getting to the QB to move from LEO. The LBs will be better if Neal is healthy and able to take up two blockers.

How do we even know Neal is coming back? Did Wolegib post another phantom tweet?

 

[purduepat1969]

Has there been something from Brohm to that effect? I don't recall any comments on coaching performance, but might have missed it.

I doubt you'd hear anything. But it's pretty obvious that if Holt's defense doesn't make major improvements, his seat would have to be scorching hot. We don't pay he and Brohm what we do to perform like they did this year. And injuries and youth can't be an excuse next year.

 

[DAG10]

Posted something similar on another thread, but yeah LB is a huge question mark. No one with size and ability that has proven themselves. In a perfect scenario, Graham bulks up to 235ish, Jones comes back with vengence, alexander takes a Big step, and a Couple of frosh turned sophs make a huge impact.

Secondary and DL are exciting to think about though.

Other than Bailey, it was a huge question mark this year...once he was lost, so were they unfortunately.

Crazy to me to think that nobody on staff recognized the need, much less tried to capably address it.

LB is a fairly critical position in any defense...one would think our staff would feel the same and find more than a guy or two that could make a difference there.

 

[purduepat1969]

How do we even know Neal is coming back? Did Wolegib post another phantom tweet?

Oops! I just saw the non-phantom tweet from Neal!! That's awesome!!

 

[purduepat1969]

Other than Bailey, it was a huge question mark this year...once he was lost, so were they unfortunately.

Crazy to me to think that nobody on staff recognized the need, much less tried to capably address it.

LB is a fairly critical position in any defense...one would think our staff would feel the same and find more than a guy or two that could make a difference there.

They addressed it with Holt's son...

 

[DAG10]

Has there been something from Brohm to that effect? I don't recall any comments on coaching performance, but might have missed it.

I don't know if a direct comment was made, but, he commented multiple times, and, especially after the last game, that it was simply unacceptable to allow so many conversions on third-and-long and that he had made that clear with expectations of it getting fixed.

 

[DAG10]

They addressed it with Holt's son...

Epic fail...in both senses.

 

[CDBRclass01]

Barnes is a starting DE dummies

 

[purduepat1969]

Epic fail...in both senses.

That was my attempt at sarcasm BTW...

 

[BlkGoldHoops]

What was the Jones injury?

Penn State game IIRC someone dove over a pile and hit his knee/lower leg. Came out. Missed a practice, should have been back the following week. Reason he’s not

 

[IUhaterade]

How do we even know Neal is coming back? Did Wolegib post another phantom tweet?

Neal himself tweeted that he is coming back. It was big news yesterday.

 

[purduepat1969]

Neal himself tweeted that he is coming back. It was big news yesterday.

Yeah, I replied to my own post saying oops. It's awesome news!

 

[purduepat1969]

Barnes is a starting DE dummies

Yes, and Barnes played LB prior to that "dummy"...

 

[DAG10]

That was my attempt at sarcasm BTW...

I assumed as much, but, appreciate the verification...

 

[CDBRclass01]

Yes, and Barnes played LB prior to that "dummy"...

And got moved to DE cause he covers in space about as good as my dad

 

[Pu71indy]

DE Karlaftis
NT Neal
DT Watts
Leo Barnes

OLB Graham
ILB Jones
OLB Alexander

CB Majors (bounceback season)
FS Allen
SS Grant
CB Trice

Key back ups:

DL Hunter, Johnson, Fecheux
LB Falenski Saunders
DB Mackey, Thienemann, Beverly

Maybe one of the better lines since 2009

Very athletic DB group that hopefully progresses. Major seemed to struggle but that may have been the scheme.

Linebackers a concern, so hopefully playing time will pay off for the younger guys, the guys that did RS show something (Wahlberg could be a steal), and JuCo help coming

Same DC so we'll see......but I do hope he does a lot better than this year.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Barnes was too good at getting to the QB to move from LEO. The LBs will be better if Neal is healthy and able to take up two blockers.

And Barnes should get substantially better as a LEO having Watts and Neal on the interior. Add to that GK opposite him and OL's are going to have to pick a guy to double...and if they do that, you'd think Holt would be a guy off the edge or from the LB's to blitz through a free spot. The issue is that if you don't double Neal in the middle, opposing teams will find it difficult to run on the interior when paired with Watts.

Next year should be the best overall DL Purdue has had in probably in quite some time. Adding one guy like Neal will make a world of difference and I believe will make the DB's look much better because the QB won't have tons of time to throw.