Is there room for Orakpo and Rob Jackson?

[12thMan]

You can't just say the defense has raised it's game in vacuum. Rob Jackson is a big part of that reason. You can't dismiss that. And when Orakpo was starting the Redskins were abysmal in the turnover category.

Are we conflating better athlete with better football player?

[los panda]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

You can't just say the defense has raised it's game in vacuum. Rob Jackson is a big part of that reason. You can't dismiss that. And when Orakpo was starting the Redskins were abysmal in the turnover category.

Are we conflating better athlete with better football player?

no doubt jackson is a big part of the improvement.

also can't simply cite that when orakpo was in, turnovers were few and far between.

the play of the entire 11 on defense doesn't solely depend on 1 olb.
they're both very able to make plays, in different ways. there is room for both

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

You can't just say the defense has raised it's game in vacuum. Rob Jackson is a big part of that reason. You can't dismiss that. And when Orakpo was starting the Redskins were abysmal in the turnover category.

Are we conflating better athlete with better football player?

Are we basing this on the 1 1/3 games that we actually saw Orakpo on the field this season? If so, I have to point out how small of a sample size that is. If not, I feel like it's a little ridiculous to compare any other year to this one given the way winning seems to have inspired this team; the defense in particular.

I think this team really needs to keep as much talent as it possibly can on the defensive side of the ball, particularly when you consider how bad they were to start the season. Having depth should be a luxury. I'm glad Jackson stepped in and made some plays, but I don't think he's better than Brian Orakpo and I wouldn't cut or trade Orakpo in order to keep him. Also, I think creating a hole behind Jackson is a bad idea. I like Wilson and Alexander as situational players, but I think banking on Jackson and thinking he'll never get hurt would be a mistake. For me, if you get rid of Orakpo, you also need a new guy to back up Jackson.

As happy as I've been with Jackson's impact, which surprised me, I still think Orakpo comes back and is the starter on this defense. If the front office decides Jackson is the better player, I'll be very surprised.

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

You can't just say the defense has raised it's game in vacuum. Rob Jackson is a big part of that reason. You can't dismiss that. And when Orakpo was starting the Redskins were abysmal in the turnover category.

Are we conflating better athlete with better football player?

You are exactly right. This post hits it on the head.
This very same thing that happened on our offense. A so called "better player" Fred Davis went down and a perceived "lesser player" Logan Paulsen had to take over and the team improved. Coincidence? No.
Team Chemistry is so important, sometimes it is a small tiny unappreciated skill that can solidify a unit. Hardly anyone appreciates a run blocking TE on offense, it is all receiving as the measurable for TE's. On defense nobody appreciates an OLB that can cover over one that gets more sacks.

We talk and preach about balance, but we do not have as much balance on defense when both of our OLB's are similar strong pass rush guys but neither is a great coverage LB. You can't rush both OLB's on every play, they have to cover at some point. Yes we give up sacks to our sack total with out Rak and Jackson in his place. But sacks is just one phase of the game and we are winning with Jackson. With Jackson we gain a compliment to the defense and a skill set that was missing at the OLB position that in turn helps solidify the defense.
Winning is more important than stats and having a solid def and off units is more important than leading the league in sacks. There is so much more to football than one stat.

[los panda]

Originally Posted by Defensewins

You are exactly right. This post hits it on the head.
This very same thing that happened on our offense. A so called "better player" Fred Davis went down and a perceived "lesser player" Logan Paulsen had to take over and the team improved. Coincidence? No.
Team Chemistry is so important, sometimes it is a small tiny unappreciated skill that can solidify a unit. That is what happened, nobody appreciates a run blocking TE on offense, it is all passing. On defense nobody appreciates an OLB that can cover over sacks.
We talk and preach about balance, but we do not have balance on defense when both of our OLB's are similar strong pass rush guys but neither is a great coverage LB. You can't rush both OLB's on every play, they have to cover at some point. Yes we give up sacks to our sack total with out Rak and Jackson in his place. But sacks is just one phase of the game and we are winning with Jackson. With Jackson we gain a compliment to the defense and a skill set that was missing at the OLB position that in turn helps solidify the defense.

please