This blog has moved! Yes, already!
As of Thursday, Feb. 12, this little blog has relocated to a new home on AJC.com. It’s the same newspaper, the same Web site and the same writer (feel free to groan) — there’s just a new URL.
New features: Bigger type, more graphics, comments that load 10 times faster and a larger and more recent photo that makes me look pretty doggone old. I think you’ll like it (the blog, not the photo). But I am, as we know too well, often wrong.
Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2008 > September > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMake-or-bust season for sack-less DE Anderson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flowery Branch — This is a big season for Jamaal Anderson. Rich McKay, the man who made him the eighth overall pick of the 2007 draft, is no longer in charge of personnel, and the new administration isn’t yet sure what it inherited.
“It’s almost like I’m starting over,” Anderson said this week. “I still feel like a rookie.”
His actual rookie season is remembered most for a big fat zero — Anderson started 16 games at defensive end and finished with no sacks. That was taken as a fairly noisy alarm, but Ray Hamilton, the new defensive line coach and a terrific pass rusher in his day, believes Anderson has what it takes to start stacking sacks in bulk.
“Without a doubt, he’s a player,” Hamilton said. “I watched the film, and I saw five or six places where he really should have had sacks. He wasn’t a total bust. He had a decent year.”
Hamilton said he wants Anderson “to play more physical,” and that’s the sentiment you hear most regarding this angular player. He went to Arkansas as a walk-on wide receiver and, at 6-foot-6 and 282 pounds, he could still pass for a tight end. But a defender needs to be ornery, not just skilled, and there’s some question whether Anderson has the requisite temperament.
Already the new staff is trying to give him a leg up. Anderson played tackle on some preseason passing downs, a tack Hamilton has taken before. “When you put someone against the guards, guards don’t set up as deep as [offensive] tackles. I did that with Willie McGinest [in New England] and Hugh Douglas [with the Jets]. Hugh Douglas got his first sack playing inside.”
Said Anderson: “I do like playing inside. I get to use my quickness against guards. I’m not a very hard guy to coach.”
Was it any relief that, in the first exhibition of 2008, the guy who went without in 2007 registered a sack? “No,” he said, “because I got two against Cincinnati [last preseason]. Come talk to me after the Detroit game.”
Permalink | Comments (23) | Post your comment | Categories: Falcons/NFL
Comments
By NCFalconFan
September 3, 2008 11:35 PM | Link to this
He will be the player I will watch most this season, with the exception of Ryan. McKay wasn’t the only one who got it wrong it was a lot of “draft experts”. Whatever happen to given a rookie 3 years before giving them a fair evaluation.
By nick s
September 3, 2008 11:44 PM | Link to this
mario williams anyone??? ya never know…nice column about shockley…HA
By Big Skee
September 4, 2008 12:15 AM | Link to this
I would assume with a much better def. line coach and the ability to learn from John Abraham, that this season will be way better for him. I’m going to give him last season because he put up with Bobby Petrino and his merry band of college losers. I’ll be cheering this team on, they really aren’t as bad as people say, Ryan will be decent, Anderson will get his first sack, and the Falcons will win 6 games. I’ll throw a party for them if they do. Go Falcons!
By Mark Bradley
September 4, 2008 12:20 AM | Link to this
Last season was indeed such an across-the-board hash that it’s hard to hold anything against anybody. Still, when the guy you’ve drafted to replace Patrick Kerney starts every game and doesn’t sack the quarterback even once, that’s not an encouraging sign.
But it’s a new year, and Ray Hamilton is a fine coach. And Anderson seems determined to do better. So we’ll see.
By The Grinch
September 4, 2008 12:21 AM | Link to this
I hope he pans out; not only because we desperately need him to but because he seems like a good guy. And though he may be a bust so far as an 8th overall, it’s not like he stuck out for bad play last year. He started every game and was fairly solid against the run. He just needs to be more. Give him a chance.
By Mark Bradley
September 4, 2008 12:31 AM | Link to this
He is a good guy, Grinch. (Now there’s a sentence I’ve never typed before.)
Anderson handles the questions about the zero sacks — which he gets from everyone, and which would tax anyone’s patience — with considerable aplomb.
And I should say that Hamilton’s idea of moving him inside makes sense when you think about it. (It didn’t to me at first, but when Sugar Bear — Hamilton’s nickname — explained it to me, I saw the light.)
By Ted Striker
September 4, 2008 1:11 AM | Link to this
Many times a player struggles in one city, only to emerge as almost a different talent altogether following a trade.
While Anderson hasn’t “gone anywhere,” it’s almost as though he’s getting a fresh start on a different team.
Ditto for every other Falcons player. The team has significant challenges but the baggage of the past isn’t something they have to own. With a new GM, a new coaching staff, and an emphasis on business as not-the-usual, everyone is playing in a new place.
As Grady Jackson if this is the Atlanta he remembers. Brian Finneran — this is your life: Tell us if this is the Falcons team you signed with as a practice squad player. There’s young players and there are some vets who held over…but I’d suspect they all feel like not much is familiar except the locker room and the uniforms.
By morris
September 4, 2008 6:49 AM | Link to this
Please no more comparisons to Mario Williams. Williams had 4 sacks his rookie season and just missed on several more that year. There is no comparison because Jamal Anderson was never in the same zip code as a QB last season. Fans that are in denial about Anderson being a bust like to use Mario as a measuring stick for Anderson, which is ludicrous. Jamal Anderson is another one of Rick Mckay’s sorry draft picks. I love the falcons and watched every game last season and this guy couldn’t beat replacement right tackles. One game in particular stood out to me last season. We were playing the Carolina Panthers at home and they were having to play a reserve right tackle because of injuries. I watched Anderson intently that day and he got absolutely manhandled by a freakin last minute replacement tackle. I hate it like hell because he was such a high draft pick but this guy is a major bust. Dimitroff will rebuild our defensive line in next years draft and Anderson will be on his way out of the league very soon. PREDICTION: Kory Biermann will get more sacks than Jamal Anderson this season. If an undersized late round draft pick from a small school can get more sacks than Anderson then what the hell does that tell you. I will keep score on which of these two has a better season because if the preseason is any indication Biermann will see plenty of playing time.
By D.Ellis
September 4, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
I think he can be a very good player. He most certainly has the physical attributes. However I thought in the preseason that he looked soft at times as you eluded to above about toughness. If he gets 6/7 sacks this year that would be a very good year. Maybe not just sacks though…..what about hurry up’s/knock downs…etc. At the very least he needs to be accounted for by opposing lines and D-cord.’s.
By gadawg
September 4, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this
Anderson is not an NFL calibur DE. He is slow off the ball and gets manhandled straight up. Maybe TE is best for him.
By Donald Dork
September 4, 2008 9:10 AM | Link to this
Bradley, I think you got it right when you said he may not be ‘ornery’ enough. He’s huge, he’s fast, but dare I say… he’s a pu**y? I hope I’m wrong, but he seems too soft to play DE in the NFL.
Another great pick from McKay. Thank GOD he’s “upstairs” this year. Oh, and Arthur - there are 1500 tix available — buy ththe remaining ones out by 12:59 today se we can see the opener please.
GO FALCONS!
By Chucktown Birdfan
September 4, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this
The problem is you just can’t coach ornery. You are either ornery or you are not and Anderson is apparently not. The defensive line is not a good place for anyone who lacks a mean streak.
By tp
September 4, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
Mark, I think the kid needs to play with a greater sense of urgency. Either that, or he has Andruw Jones Syndrome (never appear like you’re giving max effort).
Tell me this: Would you be happy with Chauncy Davis as a starding DE if you could have Amobi Okoye as a DT starting next to Grady Jackson? Yeah, that’s the kid with 5.5 sacks last year that we passed on (thanks once again for nothing Petrino).
I know Okoye benefited greatly from playing next to Mario Williams, but it’s more than apparent he’s the real deal.
Prove us wrong Jamaal! I’d love to admit I’m wrong, believe me.
By Mark Bradley
September 4, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this
Regarding Anderson, the Falcons are indeed trying to coach “ornery.”
We’ll see how that goes.
By D_Costa
September 4, 2008 10:04 AM | Link to this
Morris,
I understand your frustration and critique of Anderson, but to say that the guy never came close to registering a sack last year is just totally false.
I recalled numerous times last year that the guy was a split second from getting to the QB before he got rid of the ball.
I’m not an Anderson apologist, but the guy was given a raw deal last year, as was the whole team. The lack of professionalism and a coaching staff cost him his rookie season. I’m almost inclined to give him a mulligan for what the team had to endure.
Let’s see how he fares w/ a real coaching staff instead of the b.s. brigade that McKay dropped on our doorstep last year.
Coaches are employed to lead and coach-up their players, not further prolong development. Anderson was very raw when he came into the league and I bet you that guy didn’t learn anything new w/ the staff ATL had in place last year.
By morris
September 4, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this
Real coaching staff blah blah blah. Excuses.. excuses… excuses.. Defensive end is one of those positions that either a guy can play or not. He started 16 games and didn’t get near a QB last year. Yes the falcons have much better coaching this year but thats not going to help his slow first step and lack of aggression. All a coach can do is help a guy with some technique and refine his skills. Anderson doesn’t have the heart and desire to get to the QB and that can’t be taught by a coach. He’s a bust and I would like to see all of this footage where he “just about got to the QB”. Every time I watched him play he got manhandled by the opposing teams right tackle. He didn’t exibit an explosive first step to get by the tackle or show the strength or desire to ” blow up” the lineman and get to the QB. Those are things that can’t be taught and he will obviously never have, regardless of how much technique training he does. And I will wager anyone that Biermann ends up with more sacks than Anderson. BTW, who had the better preseason Anderson or Biermann?
By Mark Bradley
September 4, 2008 4:31 PM | Link to this
There’s a grain of truth in what both the last two posters have written. Coaching can only take a guy so far.
By gabluesdude
September 4, 2008 7:12 PM | Link to this
I think it depends on who`s doing the coaching too. New year, new coach, maybe this time it pays off.
By leftcoastfan
September 4, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this
ok, this might sound crazy, if anderson fails at the dline, lets convert him to tight end, cuz the bigman can move in the open field. does anyone know if he can catch?
daveB
By Mark Bradley
September 4, 2008 11:53 PM | Link to this
He used to be a wide receiver in high school, for what that’s worth.
By BJ
September 5, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this
Mark, can you tell Jamaal to do the Hulk Thunderclap when he gets his first sack? That’s the celebration I’d do if I were a DE. Instead I’m over here at Georgia getting my PhD…. :)
Did Jamaal have any tackles for loss last year? That’s like half a sack…
By GTIronman
September 5, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this
Agree with Gadawg. Does he have speed and hands to be Tight End? if so, try him out.
Back to DE. He only did 22 reps @ 225# in the combine. He doesn’t have the strength to play end. (for comparison Virginia defensive end Chris Long and did a combine best 37 reps @ 225 lbs. … He’s not a wuss, he just ain’t strong enough to be mean. You can’t coach that much strength without steroids, so he’s on the way out.
By bigeasy830
September 5, 2008 4:38 PM | Link to this
Great post GTIronman, He also does not have a quick first step, that burst to help him get past the O-linman. If he does not have good upperbody strength he will still get manhandled at DT. If you watch Jamal Anderson during the preseason you saw him getting knocked to the ground on almost every play because he does not have the physical skills to be a decent D-lineman in this league. He seems like a good, likeable kid but NFL means not for long if you can’t get it done. Same scenario Matt Ryan.