Hargrove demoted to second team, Green moves up

[Nick]

Hargrove loses ground to Green
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Friday, Aug. 26 2005

In each of the past two offseasons, the Rams lost their starting right
defensive end to the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. After the 2004 season, it
was Grant Wistrom. This past March, it was Bryce Fisher.

Which meant it was Anthony Hargrove's turn to see what he could do with the
starting assignment this season.

"I just want to come out here and prove to the team that I deserve to be the
starter," Hargrove said earlier this preseason. "Show the rest of St. Louis
that I'm here, that I earned this starting job. That it just wasn't given to
me, because I was the next guy in line."

But Hargrove hasn't quite earned the job yet. After starting the Rams' first
two preseason games, Hargrove found himself working with the second unit this
week behind Brandon Green.

Hargrove said he was a little surprised with the demotion.

"But it comes with the job," Hargrove said Friday. "If one guy's doing a little
bit more than the other guy, you move him up and see what he can do."

Hargrove, a third-round draft pick in 2004 out of Georgia Tech, came out like
gangbusters this year in training camp. He returned from his rookie season a
little bigger, a little stronger, and a little more polished on technique. And
he looked as quick as ever. During one-on-one pass-rush drills, he kept
six-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace on his toes.

"I think Tony Hargrove, his skill is starting to catch up with his ability,"
defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson said early in camp. "It's nowhere near where
it's going to be. But when his skill really reaches his talent, you guys are
going to be writing a lot about that guy."

But so far, Hargrove's practice exploits haven't transferred over to the
playing field on game day. According to defensive line coach Bill Kollar,
Hargrove's play has leveled off on the practice field as well.

"The first week (of camp), he looked as good as anybody you could ever imagine
out there practicing, running around, the whole thing," Kollar said Friday. "He
has slowed down quite a bit in practice, and has not produced like we'd hoped
he'd be able to in the game.

"So we're hoping maybe to let him sit back here and sort of gather himself and
hope that he can start making plays in the games like we saw him do the first
week of practice."

According to unofficial press box stats, Hargrove has a total of two tackles
and one pass breakup this preseason.

"He's played into the third quarter both weeks," Kollar said. "Sometimes you
have chances to make plays, others you don't. The first week he had a pretty
good pass rush against the Bears most of the time. Last week (against San
Diego), he didn't do as much. But we had a lot of three-step passes against us
last week. So it makes it quite a bit different."

Hargrove, an energetic, feisty sort on the practice field, is trying to regroup
and figure out what to work on.

"I guess I'm still making little assignment busts," he said. "But it's nothing
that can't be fixed."

He encountered another roadblock Friday in practice when he suffered a hand
injury making a play during a rare live-tackling period. Hargrove left practice
for X-rays, but the injury wasn't thought to be serious.

As for Green, he played in only three games in two seasons with Jacksonville
because of knee problems and was released in April.

But he's been one of the biggest surprises of the preseason for St. Louis, with
a sack in both exhibition games. At the moment, Green has gone beyond just
securing a roster spot as a backup. He's making a run at a starting job.

"Well, yeah," Green said. "That's what I came here for. Whenever they put me
out there I just want to play hard, whether it's going from the start or
getting to sub in."

Earlier in the week, Green was told to work with the first unit. No kudos, no
explanation; just go with the first unit. Green isn't about to speculate on
whether his time with the starters will have any kind of permanence.

"It's pretty much day-to-day all the time, so you just kind of go from there,"
he said.

If nothing else, he has piqued the coaching staff's interest enough that they
want to see how he does against first-line talent Monday night in Detroit.

"We'll probably start Brandon Green in the game Monday night and see how he
does against their starters," Kollar said. "He has a little bit of pass-rush
ability. He's been doing a pretty good job so far, so we hope he can keep it
going."

[Scidog68]

"We'll probably start Brandon Green in the game Monday night and see how he
does against their starters," Kollar said. "He has a little bit of pass-rush
ability."

But can he stop the run? This, I believe, will be the question.

[RamsFan16]

If you got a good pass rush aren't you good at run D also. Cause you gotta get to the QB quickly to sack him and if you get there quickly you can get the HB for a loss

[ZigZagRam]

If you got a good pass rush aren't you good at run D also. Cause you gotta get to the QB quickly to sack him and if you get there quickly you can get the HB for a loss

It's not that easy. Say you bust through the line for a would-be sack, only to find out that you didn't read the coverage right. By taking the lane to the outside to get the QB, the RB on the other team busts through the hole you just left between the Tackle and Guard for a long gain.

You gotta know where to fill the gaps. You have to know which way to shed your blocker. And you have to be able to bring down the ball carrier, which is much harder than taking down a QB who can't see you coming.

A good example of a good pass rusher and not so good rush defender would be the much overrated Dwight Freeney.

[RamWraith]

I am telling you guys....me and Martz are connected at the hip and he finally is listening to me this year

[STLRAMSFAN]

I am telling you guys....me and Martz are connected at the hip and he finally is listening to me this year

Way to keep in his ear I like some of the recent decisions.

[RamsFan16]

It's not that easy. Say you bust through the line for a would-be sack, only to find out that you didn't read the coverage right. By taking the lane to the outside to get the QB, the RB on the other team busts through the hole you just left between the Tackle and Guard for a long gain.

You gotta know where to fill the gaps. You have to know which way to shed your blocker. And you have to be able to bring down the ball carrier, which is much harder than taking down a QB who can't see you coming.

A good example of a good pass rusher and not so good rush defender would be the much overrated Dwight Freeney.

Agreed! That is true

[Tony Soprano]

Hargrove seems to just take up space ....

No production...

.