With the 2012 NFL season
steadfast approaching, it’s time to continue an original Garden State Sports
Guy production: The NFL Top 10 Series. As the Top 10 countdown approaches for
each position, we’ll be looking at honorable mentions for each position as
those steadfastly approach. No defense can be good without a great edge rusher
(or, in some cases, two great edge rushers) and today we’re going to be looking
at the players that play that position. For those of you who may not fully
understand, we’re looking at 3-4 outside linebackers or 4-3 defensive ends, or
those who play in a hybrid/multiple scheme that play off the edge to get to the
quarterback. I came up with an even 10 honorable mentions for this position,
and I decided to divide them up based on the scheme that each player plays in.
Luckily it evened out at five a piece so Part I will look at the 4-3 edge
rushers that just missed the cut.
Honorable Mentions for the 4-3 Edge Rusher Position
Jason Babin: Some wondered about the Eagles’ decision to bring Jason Babin back to
their team this past offseason and those people wound up looking pretty
foolish. Babin finished up with one of his most productive seasons in his
career after picking up 18 sacks in 2011, looking like a monster under the
direction of defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who helped coach Babin up when
he was a member of the Tennessee Titans. If Babin was more complete and not a
bonafide liability in the run game I would have probably tried to find a way to
put him up in the Top 10 and would be recognized by his peers as such, but
unfortunately for his sake being a defensive end is not just about rushing the
passer and he is on the outside looking in. Even with that said, Babin is a
force off the edge and should once again be a priority to stop in 2012.
Jason Pierre-Paul: Another arguable (and somewhat controversial) selection for the
honorable mentions list. Let me preface by saying that JPP’s improvement has
been fanatical the last two seasons when most thought that he was going to be a
flop in the NFL after spending his college career down at South Florida.
Pierre-Paul had his breakout season last year but by no means does that mean he
is already a Top 10 edge rusher. We’ve seen what hastiness results in sometimes
(see: Ndamukong Suh) and it wouldn’t be just in my opinion to anoint Jason
Pierre-Paul as a Top 10 edge rusher yet.
If Pierre-Paul ramps up the pressure and once again thrives in the Giants’
defense (let’s face it: there’s almost no way that it doesn’t happen with how
many players have done well on that defense) in 2012 and onward then the
discussion will be had. For now, Pierre-Paul remains as the breakout player of
2011 and the scary thing is that he might just get even better year-in and
year-out as his career progresses.
Osi Umenyiora: From one New York Giant to another, we move to a man who may carry a lot
of baggage with him with what seems to be a demand for a raise or a trade each
and every offseason, but something keeps bringing Osi Umenyiora back each time
and each and every year he continues to play at a high level. He may very well
be (right now) the best defensive player on that unit and at the same time the
most underappreciated. Umenyiora’s numbers speak for themselves, grading very
highly and staying consistent throughout. Last season Umenyiora picked up 9 sacks in 9 games played to go along with 2 forced fumbles, and 19 tackles. For the Giants’ sake they can only
hope to hang on to Osi for as long as they can because what he brings to the
table is unlike many in the NFL can do and that’s saying something for a
defense that has more guys that can bring pressure than any defense in the
entire league.
John Abraham: While the Falcons’ defense has beefed up a bit with the play of Corey
Peters, Sean Weatherspoon, and Brent Grimes, John Abraham has been the most
consistent performer in the ATL and arguably the NFL the last few seasons.
Abraham’s ability to rush the passer is second to none and really has thrived
in Atlanta after having a couple of good seasons with the New York Jets in the
early part of his career. Abraham was found to have been the most productive
pass rusher since 2008 through ProFootballFocus’ Pass Rushing Productivity
statistic and all it would take is one glance at a Falcons game to realize this
without even looking up what ProFootballFocus is. So why is he in the honorable
mentions post? At this point at his career, Abraham is nothing more than a pass
rusher and has not been productive in the run game either and for the most part
has come up absent in big moments. With that said however, the Falcons were
wise to re-sign him this past offseason and he will most likely help their
defense once again this upcoming year.
Chris Long: Chris
Long is in elite company amongst his peers and the reason may not be one of the
best. Long stands out as the best pick that the St. Louis Rams have made in the
last 5 or 6 seasons and although that is not saying much, it isn’t a slight at
Long at all. Long came into the NFL with one hell of a pedigree, being the son
of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and has played with the same ferocity
and disruptiveness that his father played with in the prime of his career. Long
has been a beast on a defense that has been very average at best and that says
a lot about him as well. Teams will gameplan solely around stopping Long
because they know that for the most part, they do not have to worry about many
other people on the Rams’ defense and yet Long still creates a slew of pressure
and is one of the most underrated pass rushers in the league who deserves a lot
more pub than he’s getting. Long led the league in pressures last year with an
astounding 83, and there is no telling what is in store in 2012 for an encore
performance. Simply put, Long is a beast who is only getting better.
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