Lanz Bullshit Forum » New Orleans Saints Eli Apple Jersey

An elite NFL defender was finally given a bookend partner in 2018."The Saints pulled off a trade with the Green Bay Packers to move up to the 14th spot in last spring's draft to select Marcus Davenport from U.T.S.A. Though raw New Orleans Saints Eli Apple Jersey , Davenport immediately showed the elite athletic ability and strength to potentially make him a force at the position. A foot injury suffered near midseason forced him to miss a number of games and short-circuited his progress a bit, but he did evolve into a much better all-around player by season's end. Davenport had 4.5 sacks during his rookie campaign, adding 12 quarterback hits and 6 tackles for loss among his 22 total tackles. He possesses a long reach to disrupt an opposing passer's vision, and can beat offensive tackles around the edge with quickness or with strong moves inside. Davenport looks to improve greatly as he learns the nuances of the pro game. Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY SportsAlex Okafor recovered nicely from an Achilles injury that ended his 2017, playing a full 16 game season for the first time in his six year career. Okafor provided excellent run defense and a solid pass rush from the edge, finishing with 4 sacks, 9 quarterback hits, and 5 tackles for loss while recovering a fumble. A free agent signing prior to 2017 that helped fortify the defensive line, Okafor has opted out of the final year of his contract with New Orleans, making him an unrestricted free agent at the start of the league's new year in March. Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty ImagesTrey Hendrickson played in just five games in his second season, after a solid performance as a rookie 3rd round pick in 2017. He didn't record a sack Womens Eli Apple 2019 Jersey , but did have 4 quarterback pressures. Hendrickson isn't anything special as a pass rusher, but is a good run defender with good length and a non-stop motor. Chuck Cook-USA TODAY SportsIf Cam Jordan played in many other markets, he would be lauded as a surefire Hall of Famer. As it is, Jordan is one of the most versatile and underrated defensive players in the NFL. He led the team with 12 sacks, the third time in the last four seasons he finished with double digit takedowns and the fourth time in his eight year career. He is a constant disruptive force in the opponent's backfield, even while dealing with consistent holds against him that are borderline blatant muggings. Jordan plays the run as well as any edge defender in the league, and even has the athleticism to drop into occasional coverage. He is one of the team's emotional leaders that leads by example, and is the rock of consistency that the Saints defense builds itself around. Brad Rempel-USA TODAY SportsOkafor's pending free agency makes this a position that will once again need addressed this offseason. The Saints have a potentially lethal edge combination in Jordan and Davenport, but must have solid rotational players. Hendrickson is a good complimentary role player, and there remains a possibility that the team could re-sign Okafor. If they don't, then they'll likely bring in a veteran or two via free agency for depth purposes Archie Manning Jersey Stitched , and perhaps invest a late round draft pick or two. Davenport's development will be the key for this group in 2019. He's already shown frightening potential, and the tutelage of Jordan and Okafor helped him develop into a much more rounded player by season's end. Jordan, Okafor, and Davenport were responsible for 29 tackles for loss, and 20.5 of the team's 49 sacks in 2018. They held the edge against the run extremely well, while creating consistent disruption from the outside. The combination of Jordan and Davenport look formidable for at least the next few seasons, with only quality depth being a potential question for 2019. DEFENSIVE END GRADE = B Dallas defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli remembers the night the Cowboys traded up in the second round of the 2014 draft to grab DeMarcus Lawrence because they thought he was the last pass rusher on the board with the skills to become elite.Four years and several significant draft decisions later, Dallas is in line for its highest defensive ranking since 2003, and on the verge of joining that Bill Parcells-coached team as a defense-first playoff qualifier.The Cowboys reversed the offense-dominated formula of quarterback Tony Romo's era without a sky-high draft pick such as star running back Ezekiel Elliott, the No. 4 overall choice two years ago.Instead, they stuck with their plan in the middle and the end of the first round Youth Rickey Jackson Jersey , and took a number of second-round gambles that are in various stages of paying off."I just think we've been diligent in the way we look at the people we've drafted, the movement, the skills, the attitude, the character, hitting," Marinelli said. "Is it really important to them? We've just kind of stayed on course with that. You start seeing it."The defense kept Dallas afloat in the playoff race while the offense struggled through the first half of the season. Then came a breakthrough performance against New Orleans that's part of a five-game winning streak. Dallas (8-5) can wrap up the division title with a win at Indianapolis (7-6) on Sunday.Lawrence, the first pass rusher Dallas drafted after releasing franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware, was second in the NFL last season with 14 1/2 sacks. He's unlikely to reach that number again but gets praise across the board for how well he has played following his breakthrough season.Randy Gregory is emerging opposite Lawrence after the Cowboys took a chance on him late in the second round in 2015 despite off-field concerns. He played just one of 32 games the past two seasons because of substance-abuse suspensions but has five sacks in seven games, offset somewhat by some crucial penalties.Dallas took another second-round gamble the next year on linebacker Jaylon Smith, who missed his rookie season recovering from a knee injury sustained in his final game at Notre Dame. After an uneven debut last year Rickey Jackson Jersey Stitched , Smith appears to be the middle linebacker of the future now.Leighton Vander Esch was the 19th choice in this year's draft and has emerged as a star in the absence of 2016 All-Pro Sean Lee , who is close to returning from a hamstring injury.Byron Jones, a late first-rounder in 2015, is thriving in a move to cornerback after mostly playing safety his first three seasons. Chidobe Awuzie starts on the other side as a second-round pick last year.Maliek Collins has been solid at defensive tackle as a third-round pick, same as veteran leader and self-described utility lineman Tyrone Crawford four years earlier."We've had to make an emphasis on it, to pick guys," coach Jason Garrett said. "We've selected guys high in the first round, in the second round, in the third round. I think you're seeing the fruits of those selections over the last few years."There are a couple of late-round picks in safety Xavier Woods and nickel cornerback Anthony Brown and two undrafted starters in safety Jeff Heath and defensive tackle Antwaun Woods, a third-year player who started training camp as a fourth-stringer in his first year with Dallas.Vander Esch has a chance to be the first rookie to lead the club in tackles since the team's coaches started tracking the stat in 1981. The Cowboys rank fifth overall and second in scoring defense."I just feel like we've haven't gone away from the system and what it is and how we're supposed to run it, how we're supposed to play New Orleans Saints Ted Ginn Jersey ," Crawford said of Marinelli's ball-swarming style. "As far as being a hustle-style defense and knowing that the star of the defense is the defense, we kind of embrace that."The Cowboys drafted Vander Esch out of Boise State despite the need for a receiver after releasing franchise career touchdown catch leader Dez Bryant. Their first three picks in 2017 were defensive players.The only high defensive pick whose impact is in question is 2017 first-rounder Taco Charlton, who was a healthy scratch last week against Philadelphia after battling a shoulder injury for several weeks and returning for one game."You can't overdo it and get too many. We understand," Marinelli said of defensive first-round picks. "But I think those first-rounders are guys that can impact the passing game. And the other guys, we've got to go make them players."NOTES: DE Randy Gregory missed practice Thursday for unspecified personal reasons but was expected back Friday. ... RG Zack Martin didn't practice for the second straight day as he battles a recurring left knee injury.