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Three years ago, the word around NFL personnel circles was Simeon Rice was too small to be an effective every-down end; his inability to hold up against the run was more of a detriment than his ability to rush the passer a strength.
His speed off the edge was a plus, they said, but his lack of strength to anchor against the run was too much of a negative. They said the same things about Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, and then Dwight Freeney heard them when he entered last year's draft.
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An extra 10 pounds might have slowed Terrell Suggs a bit during his workouts for NFL scouts. (AP)
So why is every team now hoping to find a smallish, speed-rushing defensive end?
Tampa Bay winning the Super Bowl is one reason why, and Freeney is the other.
With Rice playing a pivotal role on the league's best defense, getting 15½ sacks, Tampa Bay became Super Bowl champions. In a league of copycats, everyone wants to follow that model.
"Does anybody have an original thought anymore in this league?" asked one NFC personnel director. "As soon as somebody wins one way, we all try to do the same thing."
The fact Freeney had 13 sacks as an undersized rookie for Indianapolis last season also helps feed the notion that speed is now better than brawn if a choice has to be made between the two.
It's that obsession with speed, particularly 40-time speed, which has the NFL scouting brethren scratching their heads when it comes to Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs.
Based on the 2002 season, Suggs was clearly the top defensive lineman in this draft, a sure top 5 pick. He had 24 sacks last season for the Sun Devils, showing an explosive burst off the corner.
At 6-feet-3, 248 pounds, he was that undersized end that teams crave, a havoc-creating pass rusher that can change the game with a sack or force a turnover.
"All the games in this league are so close and end up being decided in the fourth quarter," said Arizona coach Dave McGinnis. "If you have a guy who can make a game-deciding play in the fourth quarter with a pass rush, that's a big advantage. It's so important to have those guys."
Somewhere on the way to being that can't-miss guy, things went bad for Suggs. After putting on 10 pounds to look more like an NFL defensive end, giving in to the wants of the scouts, Suggs suddenly didn't have the speed most teams expected.
At his Pro Day workout in March at Arizona State, he was a major disappointment. His best 40 time was 4.81 and many of the scouts and coaches in attendance left wondering about his ability to be a dominant pass rusher.
"I came here thinking he was a definite top 10 pick, but now I'm not so sure," said one AFC personnel director.
The times shouldn't have surprised the scouts. Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter told several coaches that Suggs would run no better than 4.8, which is what he was timed at while with the Sun Devils. Koetter also told them he plays a lot faster than that, something Suggs certainly shows on tape.
The workout left Suggs' draft status in question. After it was done, he was baffled by the slow times and vowed to improve them. This past Friday, he had his chance. Running on the same artificial turf he ran on in March, Suggs didn't improve those times. His best of three was 4.81 with the wind, which is slow by defensive end standards.
Like he did in March, Suggs again wondered if the added weight might have had an impact.
"I'm a lot heavier than I'm used to being," he said.
The team that drafts him will have to decide whether he should play at the lighter weight, something he felt more comfortable doing in college. Suggs was so dominant last year that he decided to forego his senior season at Arizona State after hearing that he'd be a top 10 pick.
His performance in the Holiday Bowl against Kansas State, which had trouble blocking him all game, led to a warm reception from some San Diego Chargers in the crowd. As Suggs headed to the locker room at halftime, the players had some things to say to him, one of them being Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie, who knows a thing or two about pass rushers.
"They said, 'You're a stud, 48 (Suggs' number),'" Suggs said. "It made me feel good and I just wanted to put on a show for them."
Since making those comments at the combine, Suggs' stock isn't so impressive anymore. There is talk now he could fall out of the top 10, although that is unlikely with several teams' urgency to find pass rushers.
Suggs showed at his March workout that although he didn't run the 40 well, he still had plenty of burst when he did the pass-rushing drills. That should be enough for a smart team to put aside these 40 times in the age of smallish defensive ends and add a pass rusher to their roster.
"That's what's going on," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher. "These defensive ends average 245, no more than 250. They're all 6-2 to 6-4, and they all can run. They're the guys knocking down the quarterback. They're not the 300-pound end like Reggie White. The game has changed to give these types of players an opportunity to rush. It used to be when you evaluated defensive ends, you'd say he was a nickel rusher or a stand-up linebacker. It's not that way anymore. You can either rush or you can't, whether he's 230 or 250 or 270."
Suggs has proved he can do that. So has Miami's Jerome McDougle, which is why he will be off the board by the middle of the first round. McDougle is also smallish at 6-2, 264, but he ran better than Suggs at his workouts.
McDougle was timed at 4.6, which is what coaches want in smaller defensive ends. At Miami, McDougle had seven sacks last season after getting six sacks in 2001. Many scouts say that McDougle was a better player in 2001, and didn't seem to play as hard last season.
"You have to watch his junior tape to get a real feel for him," said one NFC coach.
Some have compared McDougle to Jaguars defensive end Hugh Douglas, who has been a solid pass-rush end in his career, although he is small at 6-1, 260.
"Look, we're all searching for those guys," said the NFC personnel director. "The offenses have spread the defenses out so much that you have to be able to get pressure with a four-man rush. Having a guy who comes off the corner is a must. That's why there is much value placed on these guys in the draft."
And why guys like Rice no longer hear complaints about them being too small.
His speed off the edge was a plus, they said, but his lack of strength to anchor against the run was too much of a negative. They said the same things about Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, and then Dwight Freeney heard them when he entered last year's draft.
PHOTOS: « PREV | NEXT »
An extra 10 pounds might have slowed Terrell Suggs a bit during his workouts for NFL scouts. (AP)
So why is every team now hoping to find a smallish, speed-rushing defensive end?
Tampa Bay winning the Super Bowl is one reason why, and Freeney is the other.
With Rice playing a pivotal role on the league's best defense, getting 15½ sacks, Tampa Bay became Super Bowl champions. In a league of copycats, everyone wants to follow that model.
"Does anybody have an original thought anymore in this league?" asked one NFC personnel director. "As soon as somebody wins one way, we all try to do the same thing."
The fact Freeney had 13 sacks as an undersized rookie for Indianapolis last season also helps feed the notion that speed is now better than brawn if a choice has to be made between the two.
It's that obsession with speed, particularly 40-time speed, which has the NFL scouting brethren scratching their heads when it comes to Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs.
Based on the 2002 season, Suggs was clearly the top defensive lineman in this draft, a sure top 5 pick. He had 24 sacks last season for the Sun Devils, showing an explosive burst off the corner.
At 6-feet-3, 248 pounds, he was that undersized end that teams crave, a havoc-creating pass rusher that can change the game with a sack or force a turnover.
"All the games in this league are so close and end up being decided in the fourth quarter," said Arizona coach Dave McGinnis. "If you have a guy who can make a game-deciding play in the fourth quarter with a pass rush, that's a big advantage. It's so important to have those guys."
Somewhere on the way to being that can't-miss guy, things went bad for Suggs. After putting on 10 pounds to look more like an NFL defensive end, giving in to the wants of the scouts, Suggs suddenly didn't have the speed most teams expected.
At his Pro Day workout in March at Arizona State, he was a major disappointment. His best 40 time was 4.81 and many of the scouts and coaches in attendance left wondering about his ability to be a dominant pass rusher.
"I came here thinking he was a definite top 10 pick, but now I'm not so sure," said one AFC personnel director.
The times shouldn't have surprised the scouts. Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter told several coaches that Suggs would run no better than 4.8, which is what he was timed at while with the Sun Devils. Koetter also told them he plays a lot faster than that, something Suggs certainly shows on tape.
The workout left Suggs' draft status in question. After it was done, he was baffled by the slow times and vowed to improve them. This past Friday, he had his chance. Running on the same artificial turf he ran on in March, Suggs didn't improve those times. His best of three was 4.81 with the wind, which is slow by defensive end standards.
Like he did in March, Suggs again wondered if the added weight might have had an impact.
"I'm a lot heavier than I'm used to being," he said.
The team that drafts him will have to decide whether he should play at the lighter weight, something he felt more comfortable doing in college. Suggs was so dominant last year that he decided to forego his senior season at Arizona State after hearing that he'd be a top 10 pick.
His performance in the Holiday Bowl against Kansas State, which had trouble blocking him all game, led to a warm reception from some San Diego Chargers in the crowd. As Suggs headed to the locker room at halftime, the players had some things to say to him, one of them being Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie, who knows a thing or two about pass rushers.
"They said, 'You're a stud, 48 (Suggs' number),'" Suggs said. "It made me feel good and I just wanted to put on a show for them."
Since making those comments at the combine, Suggs' stock isn't so impressive anymore. There is talk now he could fall out of the top 10, although that is unlikely with several teams' urgency to find pass rushers.
Suggs showed at his March workout that although he didn't run the 40 well, he still had plenty of burst when he did the pass-rushing drills. That should be enough for a smart team to put aside these 40 times in the age of smallish defensive ends and add a pass rusher to their roster.
"That's what's going on," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher. "These defensive ends average 245, no more than 250. They're all 6-2 to 6-4, and they all can run. They're the guys knocking down the quarterback. They're not the 300-pound end like Reggie White. The game has changed to give these types of players an opportunity to rush. It used to be when you evaluated defensive ends, you'd say he was a nickel rusher or a stand-up linebacker. It's not that way anymore. You can either rush or you can't, whether he's 230 or 250 or 270."
Suggs has proved he can do that. So has Miami's Jerome McDougle, which is why he will be off the board by the middle of the first round. McDougle is also smallish at 6-2, 264, but he ran better than Suggs at his workouts.
McDougle was timed at 4.6, which is what coaches want in smaller defensive ends. At Miami, McDougle had seven sacks last season after getting six sacks in 2001. Many scouts say that McDougle was a better player in 2001, and didn't seem to play as hard last season.
"You have to watch his junior tape to get a real feel for him," said one NFC coach.
Some have compared McDougle to Jaguars defensive end Hugh Douglas, who has been a solid pass-rush end in his career, although he is small at 6-1, 260.
"Look, we're all searching for those guys," said the NFC personnel director. "The offenses have spread the defenses out so much that you have to be able to get pressure with a four-man rush. Having a guy who comes off the corner is a must. That's why there is much value placed on these guys in the draft."
And why guys like Rice no longer hear complaints about them being too small.
