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  • #1

    Lay off Chris Long already!

    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.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

    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 ...

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

      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.
      The more things change, the more they stay the same.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

        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!
        I believe!:ram:

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

          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.
          :ramlogo:

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

            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.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

              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.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                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.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                  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.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                    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.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                      Originally posted by AvengerRam View Post
                      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

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                        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.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                          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

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                            [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.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Lay off Chris Long already!

                              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.

                              Comment

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                              • DieHardRamsFan1381
                                make or break season for chris long
                                by DieHardRamsFan1381
                                dont get me worng i love chris long but he hasnt really put up a decent season yet. i mean at the end of last season i saw glimpes of how good he can be. but what is holding him back is it the supporting cast around him, the defencive scheme, or what. i mean in college he was a beast. i know the nfl is alot fast gameplay then college. but only 9 sacks in his first 2 seasons. mario williams first 2 seasons he had 18.5 sacks and played for a horrible team,jared allen had 20 in his first to seasons, and dwight freeney 24 sack in 2 seasons. i know chris hasnt had alot of other great players around him but his overall skill he should have know problem to have a 10 sack season. why is leonard little putting up better numbers then long. i mean since 2008 little hasnt played a full season yet puts up more sacks. why is he not an elite defencive end yet
                                -07-15-2010, 09:06 PM
                              • berg8309
                                Appreciating Chris Long
                                by berg8309
                                I know Long gets a lot of positive comments on these boards, but on the eve of pro bowl selections, I just wanted to point out a few good things regarding our #2 overall pick of 2008.

                                Chris Long doesn't have the gaudy sack numbers, but he still has a lot of sacks. He has 8.5 sacks, which is 20th in the NFL. However what this stat doesn't tell is how Long forces QBs to move into the arms of Hall and Robbins as they try to escape the heat he is bringing. This also forces the QB to move to their left, which for most QBs makes it harder to throw, they'd rather roll right (unless they are left handed).

                                Long also often forces a double team which leaves less blockers on blitzes and makes our overall blitz game much more effective at disrupting the passing game.

                                Speaking of disrupting the passing game, according to Footballoutsiders, Long still leads the league in QB hurries. Which means that despite the fact the sack leader has managed to hit the QB with the ball still in his hand a whole 5.5 more times than Long (Less than once a game), Long is making the QB get rid of the ball and potentially make bad throws more often. Don't forget that part of a sack is coverage, if there is no one to throw to, the QB is much more likely to be sacked.

                                At the end of the day what you see is that, despite the lack of gaudy eye-popping stat numbers that voters and pro-bowl selectors probably look for, Chris Long has been as dominant a pass-rusher as it gets. I doubt Hall or Robbins has the sack numbers they do without Long getting in the QBs face as often as he does.

                                So I guess my point is, if Long doesn't make the pro bowl, it doesn't matter, because what matters is that he is making everyone else on that line better even if he isn't get the numbers to back it up.
                                -12-28-2010, 03:17 PM
                              • NJ Ramsfan1
                                Chris Long
                                by NJ Ramsfan1
                                I know you cannot accurately judge someone based on their first year in the league, but I see nothing from Chris Long that shows me he's a game changer or the 2nd best player available in the 2008 draft. I didn't see the game today- I said three games ago I wasn't wasting my Sundays watching guys that looked as if they didn't want to be there- but did Long even play? He was credited with zero tackles. Hardly what you want from a guy who was drafted to be an impact player.
                                -12-07-2008, 08:11 PM
                              • RamsFan16
                                Six tackles, three quarterback hits and three pressures.
                                by RamsFan16
                                Pretty good game right? And that's from your very own "bust" Chris Long last week. Those last two stats go to show that he's getting closer and closer to the QB.

                                The main problem that he is a Left End, playing Right End. He isn't equipped to play RE in the NFL, not his style. But the problem is, you can't not play him because of his skill, and Little is about to that age where he is going to retire, so it's a lost cause to make him adjust to a new position when you'll benefit none. Long and Little are our best rushers, and can't be sitting. And I assume why that's why Long isn't at LE right now.

                                Michael Strahan played RE for a bit in the NFL, and was no good, didn't pressure the QB, and didn't get sacks. He came in as a LE and was played at the RE. The fans called for his head and labeled him a bust, the Giants then moved him to his natural LE position, and history is history.


                                Point is, Chris Long isn't a bust. A bust is someone who makes no plays, and plays horribly. And the truth is, Chris Long is playing the run pretty damn good, and his pass rush skills are improving. If we moved him to LE, and they have played him at LE, and he's gotten closer each time to getting a sack, his stats would improve.


                                I don't get why people label him a bust, when he isn't.
                                -10-20-2009, 05:48 PM
                              • tomahawk247
                                Chris Long and the four point stance
                                by tomahawk247
                                Have you seen that four point stance that Long lines up in? It looks odd, but cool at the same time, like he is about to pounce!

                                What an awesome season this guy is having. In a season where the Rams are struggling, he is playing so well. Considering that teams can run on this D with ease and don't need to pass much due to being in the lead often, the fact he has been able to rack up 10 sacks is ridiculous.

                                NFL Sack Stats
                                1. DeMarcus Ware 14
                                2. Jared Allen 13.5
                                3. Von Miller 10.5
                                3. Jason Pierre-Paul 10.5
                                5. Jason Babin 10
                                5. Chris Long 10


                                Just think: If Rod Hood hadn't pointlessly held his guy on Sunday, Chris Long would have got another sack and would be 3rd in the league!!
                                -11-29-2011, 02:32 AM
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