Lay off Chris Long already!

[AvengerRam]

I am sick of people trying to put Chris Long on the "bust" list of Rams DL draftees. I understand the frustration over guys like Jimmy Kennedy, Damione Lewis, Adam Carriker and Claude Wroten, but Long does not belong with them.

Don't get me wrong... he's not an impact player, as one would hope a second overall pick would be.... yet. That's right... yet. Plenty of DEs that became Pro Bowl regulars took 3-4 years to become the dominating players they became.

The real issue here is sacks. Fans like sacks. Sacks are easy to evaluate. 10+ sacks, and you're a very good pass rusher. At this point, Long has not developed enough moves to be a guy who gets to the QB on a regular basis. Again, I'd throw in the words "not yet."

However, in the meantime, the guy is showing some productivity. After two games, he has 11 tackles. That equates to 88 for a season.

Guess how many DEs in the league had 88 tackles last season? That's right... NONE. (Trent Cole lead the league with 77).

The Rams have a lot of problems, and a lot of holes. Let's focus on them, and let Chris do his thing.

[RamsInfiniti]

Is he or is he not an impact player? He stiffled two screen pass attempts yesterday. The impact of doing such could be as crucial as a sack or two ...

These plays may not show up on the stat sheet, but are just as important ...

[HUbison]

I notice they don't mention him sniffing out that screen yesterday. Nor do they mention his ability to be around the ball on every play. Pass rush will come around.

I'm just glad we have an all-around player like Long, and not some one-trick pony that gets blown away on run plays with no gap discipline or ability to read on the field.

[TekeRam]

I very much liken him to Mario Williams who very much took till his third year to become a dominant pass rusher. Sometimes it just takes that long for your body to adjust and for the game to slow down for you. And sometimes it just takes a better supporting cast around you. The team is getting better, the game is obviously slowing down for him, now his body and speed just need to get there. He will be a great one in this league, just give the man some time!

[eldfan]

He works hard has the right attitudes and he has talent, I don’t see why with time he want become a great DE. Hay look at Williams with Huston Texas.

[AvengerRam]

I think the problem is that a lot of people expect every DE taken in the first ten picks to be Jevon Kearse, who was a star as a rookie. However, if you look at the first 2-3 years of a lot of the top pass rushers in the league, you'll see a different picture:

For example, here are the sack totals for several top pass rushers in their first two seasons (combined):

Patrick Kerney: 5.0
Aaron Kampman: 2.5
Osi Umenyiora: 8.0
Justin Tuck: 1.0
Leonard Little: 0.5

Many others made their jump from year 1 to year 2 (i.e. John Abraham, Mario Williams).

The bottom line is that Long is progressing. If he finishes the year with 50 tackles and 7-8 sacks, he'll be ahead of the curve when compared to many Pro Bowl careers.

[RebelYell]

He's by far our best DE right now but I hope he learns a few moves to generate a rush. That often takes time. He's one of my favorite players.

Leonard Little isn't a good example because he played at LBer for the first few years.

[Ahmedrams81]

I agree with you, no one can label Long as a bust. For a very inexperienced guy he has been making great plays. As RamsInfinit mentioned, he stiffled those screen passes yesterday and that is not something we can see just by viewing the stat sheet. I think he is physically talented, he just needs to be pointed in the right direction in terms of the mental part of the game and some techniques of the NFL.

[r8rh8rmike]

I'm not worried about Long because it's clear he has great instincts, something you can't teach. The rest will take care of itself with a bit more time, experience and coaching.

[Fettmaster]

Long is a machine, I don't get the bust talk. He's always around the ball, and is always giving 100%. Pass rush is something that he must get better at, but when he does he will be the complete package, and hopefully a stud on that line for many years.

[bruce4life]

I am sick of people trying to put Chris Long on the "bust" list of Rams DL draftees. I understand the frustration over guys like Jimmy Kennedy, Damione Lewis, Adam Carriker and Claude Wroten, but Long does not belong with them.

Don't get me wrong... he's not an impact player, as one would hope a second overall pick would be.... yet. That's right... yet. Plenty of DEs that became Pro Bowl regulars took 3-4 years to become the dominating players they became.

The real issue here is sacks. Fans like sacks. Sacks are easy to evaluate. 10+ sacks, and you're a very good pass rusher. At this point, Long has not developed enough moves to be a guy who gets to the QB on a regular basis. Again, I'd throw in the words "not yet."

However, in the meantime, the guy is showing some productivity. After two games, he has 11 tackles. That equates to 88 for a season.

Guess how many DEs in the league had 88 tackles last season? That's right... NONE. (Trent Cole lead the league with 77).

The Rams have a lot of problems, and a lot of holes. Let's focus on them, and let Chris do his thing.

Hey buddy while your at it, you might as well put Jason Smith on that list too!! He's only played 2 games but he just sucks man......lol

[txramsfan]

I'm not down on him, I just would like to see some pressure on the QB. If the Rams don't pressure Rodgers next week, he'll pick us apart too.

[NJ Ramsfan1]

I would never dream of bad mouthing Chris Long at this point. He is a worker and should continue to get better. He's played 18 career games. labeling him a bust at this point is both foolish and impatient. As Avenger said, there are more pressing issues with this team than the play of Chris Long.

That said, Chris Long was selected with the 2nd overall pick in the draft. Defensive ends selected that high are not picked for their ability to drop off and cover screen passes- they're expected to put consistent pressure on the QB and generate respectable sack totals. And that is what I expect from Chris Long in a reasonable period of time.

Comparing him to Mario Williams hurts the argument. Mario Williams has 31 career sacks, had 14 sacks in his 2nd season and 12 sacks last year in his 3rd- great numbers to say the least. Long is nowhere close to this yet. Because our pass rush is anemic, it is even more important that Long continues to get better at pressuring the QB.

Like everything else concerning the Rams, Long is a work in progress. But dividends will start paying off

[ManofGod]

[QUOTE=AvengerRam;305060]

However, in the meantime, the guy is showing some productivity. After two games, he has 11 tackles. That equates to 88 for a season.
QUOTE]

The key word in that whole sentence was "equate" as we all know that is an estimate and not indicative of the real thing. At this point he is under achieving, and he needs to be moved to the left side where he can be more productive. DE is a problem spot because we can not put pressure on opposing teams QB's. Also Long is not discipline and allows big runs to his side of the field do to his tendency to forget his assignment and head straight to the ball (he has to keep outside contain). At this point he is a disappointment, much like Avery I expected more even ofter 2 games.

[BarronWade]

lol when i looked at the title when u said lay off i thought u meant cut him

But yea is transitioning into a good run stopper he is very active there. When he gets that pass rush tallent around he can become that great run stopping/ pass rushing DE.