On to the defensive side of the ball now!

2011 - DE's

Chris Long:
16 G, 37 tackles, 13.0 sacks, 1 FF, 0 INT, 2 PDF

James Hall:
15 G, 50 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 0 FF, 0 INT, 2 PDF

Robert Quinn:
15 G, 23 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 0 FF, 0 INT, 2 PDF, 3 blocked punts (Had to put it in!)

Eugene Sims:
16 G, 19 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 FF, 0 INT, 1 PDF

C.J Ah You:
16 G, 6 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 0 FF, 0 INT, 0 PDF

Defensive end was actually one of our strongest units last year. Chris Long had another breakout year in which he should have made the Pro Bowl but got snubbed. James Hall continued with his terrific play, even though he split time he still had a good impact. Rookie Robert Quinn only scratched the surface of his potential and had a big impact last year. He had a lot of sacks and blocked punts for only playing in limited action. Sims and Ah You didn't get much playing time and would rotate in here or there.

2012 - Projections

Chris Long:
16 G, 48 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 1 FF, 0 INT, 3 PDF

Robert Quinn:
16 G, 25 tackles, 9.0 sacks, 0 FF, 1 INT, 2 PDF

William Hayes:
16 G, 29 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 0 INT, 1 PDF

Eugene Sims:
16 G, 11 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 0 FF, 0 INT, 1 PDF

Jamar Jarrett(or other DE):
16 G, 7 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 FF, 0 INT, 0 PDF

The defensive end play will be very equal to last year, it may even drop. It depends on the progression of Robert Quinn and the success of William Hayes who may be a "secret gem" as we seen in another thread. Quinn who I think has the potential to be one of the best pass rushers in the NFL must continue to practice and learn. Some think he will reach double digit sacks this year, I kept it lower because we can't expect the world from him, even though in a few years I believe he will be totaling 12-15 sacks regularly. Long we already know what to expect from him. Hayes is the key. He will come in and refresh our starters. He will play a similar role to what James Hall played last year, except he will come off the bench. He can stop the run, perhaps chip in a few sacks.

"The Edge"

I believe the 2012 DE's have the edge. Their numbers may not be as good as the 2011 DE's, but thats because of the heavily increased play from the DT's. They will free up a lot of space for the DE's to work with. I'm excited to see how good Long and Quinn will be with 2 monsters at the DT position.