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Just looking through the two-deep on defense in the Preseason Notes posted yesterday. Not only are we younger, but awfully small in the box too. A lot of 230 pound lineman and under 200 pound linebackers. Yikes!

Defensive Lineman

Bryan Baird 6-4 238
Brian Sanders 6-3 239
Zach Colvin 6-3 287
Gus Schwieterman 6-2 261
Taylor Royster 5-10 255
Mike Minns 5-10 313
Terrance Bush 6-2 238
|David Konowalski 6-3 225

Linebackers

Austin Valdez 6-0 226
Trenton Greene 5-9 195
Aaron Banks 6-2 218
Nate Locke 5-11 227
James Sanford 6-1 194
Nilijah Ballew 6-0 204

The defense didn't fare much better last year against a bigger team in Wisconsin either so this isn't really anything new. Difference this year will be if Brian Ward can bring in different packages and pressures to have the defense play to their strengths instead of the same three packages we saw last season - zone, all out blitz or nothing.

It won't make much of a difference but they haven't updated the weights and numbers for the returning players yet. Colvin for example said during media days he's gained some and I would guess that's true for all the underclassmen especially on defense. The O-line however has lost 150 lbs collectively.

Schwieterman is probably 270 or so. Banks is probably pushing 230 by now. Sanford probably over 200 etc.....

jpfalcon09 wrote:The defense didn't fare much better last year against a bigger team in Wisconsin either so this isn't really anything new. Difference this year will be if Brian Ward can bring in different packages and pressures to have the defense play to their strengths instead of the same three packages we saw last season - zone, all out blitz or nothing.

Those numbers won't cut it no matter what you do. The defense did not fare better against anyone- not just Wisconsin. Turdeledo ran us out of the house. If we do not recruit better and retain players on defense we will not get over the hump so to speak. I admire your optimism though. On paper we do not even have the talent we had last year.

New numbers out

DT
Colvin 6'3, 293
Schwieterman 6'2, 270
Royster 5-10, 260
Minns 5'10, 327
Lunsford 6'3, 294


DE
Brown 6'4, 266
Baird 6'4, 243
Sanders 6'3, 255
Bush 6'2, 252
Konowalski 6'3, 219

LB
Valdez 6'0, 255
Banks 6'2, 239
Locke 6'0, 226
Sanford 6'1, 196
Ballew 6'0, 210

Players of note -

Jack Kramer (DT), Freshman Plainfield, Ill. 6'3, 307
Tyler Hortsman (DE), Freshman Vero Beach, FL 6'4 253
Matthew Finkler (LB), Freshman Kirtland, OH, 6'2 232

While it's certainly not a massive defense, they have much better size than originally thought.

They can go, 266, 293, 327, 255 across the front 4, with a 239 LB middle linebacker. That's not bad.

Falcon137 wrote:New numbers out

DT
Colvin 6'3, 293
Schwieterman 6'2, 270
Royster 5-10, 260
Minns 5'10, 327
Lunsford 6'3, 294


DE
Brown 6'4, 266
Baird 6'4, 243
Sanders 6'3, 255
Bush 6'2, 252
Konowalski 6'3, 219

LB
Valdez 6'0, 255
Banks 6'2, 239
Locke 6'0, 226
Sanford 6'1, 196
Ballew 6'0, 210

Players of note -

Jack Kramer (DT), Freshman Plainfield, Ill. 6'3, 307
Tyler Hortsman (DE), Freshman Vero Beach, FL 6'4 253
Matthew Finkler (LB), Freshman Kirtland, OH, 6'2 232

While it's certainly not a massive defense, they have much better size than originally thought.

They can go, 266, 293, 327, 255 across the front 4, with a 239 LB middle linebacker. That's not bad.

Agreed, good to see that some guys put on 10-15 extra pounds over the summer. Valdez is definitely a load at MLB and I think he'll have an impact this season, he looked real good in the spring. I have a feeling this is going to be a defense by committee this year with not really having many standouts but enough guys to get the job done. I've been hearing good things about Brian Ward's defensive schemes.

jpfalcon09 wrote:

Falcon137 wrote:New numbers out

DT
Colvin 6'3, 293
Schwieterman 6'2, 270
Royster 5-10, 260
Minns 5'10, 327
Lunsford 6'3, 294


DE
Brown 6'4, 266
Baird 6'4, 243
Sanders 6'3, 255
Bush 6'2, 252
Konowalski 6'3, 219

LB
Valdez 6'0, 255
Banks 6'2, 239
Locke 6'0, 226
Sanford 6'1, 196
Ballew 6'0, 210

Players of note -

Jack Kramer (DT), Freshman Plainfield, Ill. 6'3, 307
Tyler Hortsman (DE), Freshman Vero Beach, FL 6'4 253
Matthew Finkler (LB), Freshman Kirtland, OH, 6'2 232

While it's certainly not a massive defense, they have much better size than originally thought.

They can go, 266, 293, 327, 255 across the front 4, with a 239 LB middle linebacker. That's not bad.

Agreed, good to see that some guys put on 10-15 extra pounds over the summer. Valdez is definitely a load at MLB and I think he'll have an impact this season, he looked real good in the spring. I have a feeling this is going to be a defense by committee this year with not really having many standouts but enough guys to get the job done. I've been hearing good things about Brian Ward's defensive schemes.

The initial depth chart listed Valdez at OLB and Banks at MLB, which was surprising. Valdez put on 29 pounds and Banks 21 this offseason. Kudos to the strength staff.

Jeebus...our defense is huge! They need to be smaller and more mobile...God, we're gonna get killed

Falcon137 wrote:Kudos to the strength staff.

Strength staff? No way man. That was me and the boys hitting Myle's Pizza, the Pagliais Pizza buffet on the south side of town, and some SouthSide6.

Gallon is up to 246? That is a big WR.
RB Wilson up to 229, Box Coppet at 205.
Knapke up to 237.

Guys putting on muscle and weight...good to hear.

With that size...if Gallon has any speed left after two knee injuries...Gallon could find a spot in the league as an H back or receiving TE

Flipper wrote:With that size...if Gallon has any speed left after two knee injuries...Gallon could find a spot in the league as an H back or receiving TE

No doubt. At that size if he can run in the 4.5-4.6 range he's NFL gold. Especially since I seem to remember him showing some ball skills and good hands, but it's been so long since I've seen him play I could be mis-remembering him.

Of course the big question is, does he have any speed/hops left after those knee surgeries? I hope so...he was so much fun to watch a few years back!

Valdez was downsized from 255 to 225. That seems more likely given the what he looked in recent pictures.


Still waiting on some new number assignments. Rhodes changed from 80 to #7. There are still some single digit numbers left and usually those are in demand.