Regarding the study of offensive line play, Offensive Line Performance (OLP) founder and owner LeCharles Bentley delivered a message at the inaugural OLP OL Seminar in the summer of 2016 that resonated with me. “Appreciate the craftsmanship.” My primary focus when I study film every week is on the offensive line, a position that is…
With mandatory minicamps just finishing it’s officially holdout season: The time of year when players publicly announce their displeasure with their current contract and choose not to attend training camp to create leverage for an extension or a new deal. You’ll see this with players on their rookie deals and disgruntled veterans who believe their…
It is has been 10 years since Jerry Reese’s first draft as the General Manager of the New York Giants and the fans of the renowned franchise still remember many key members of the 2007 draft. Aaron Ross, Kevin Boss, Jay Alford, Steve Smith, and Ahmad Bradshaw were all essential parts in conquering the undefeated…
Series Introduction: A scheme fit is when a player’s traits and abilities line up with a certain coach’s style and scheme. Imagine if every NFL team could draft a player that fit perfectly into their scheme. That would benefit both the teams and the players simultaneously, as general managers and coaches wouldn’t be putting a…
All production is good and all sacks are good. I’m not here to debate that. From a team or fan perspective, an 8-second hustle sack is just as valuable as DeMarcus Ware bending the edge in a ridiculous show of athleticism. But while the box score stat has consistent value on the field, it can…
In his Sack Lunch series, Jon Ledyard looks at a particularly impressive pass-rushing performance from the past weekend’s games, highlighting techniques, moves, or athletic traits that brought each player success. In this installment, Jon looks at the traits and technique that led to outside linebacker and edge rusher Jeremiah Attaochu’s impressive sack of Drew Brees. Any football conversation about the…
It’s not only in fantasy that there are lots of personnel mixes that can win – especially when formations come in to play. Mark Schofield takes a look at what the Atlanta Falcons are doing with their tight ends to find success. While scouting NFC wide receivers and tight ends for the Bleacher Report NFL1000 project, I…
Love or hate the draft, you know you want your team to draft well or it will face the consequences of drafting the wrong players. To that end, Ethan Young seeks to apply his innovative player evaluation model to college conferences themselves to see which conferences consistently produce the best NFL talent. As I mentioned in the original…
One of the most important factors to winning games is pressuring the opposing quarterback and totaling up sacks. Ethan Young has developed a formula, drawing on data from 2009 to 2015, for accurately predicting future sacks totals, to see which players are expected to increase their sack totals, and which players we can expect to see a decrease…
The AFC West is filled with elite edge rushers. And last season the division added another one in Melvin Ingram. Jon Ledyard breaks down why the former first round draft pick took a leap into the upper echelon of NFL pass rushers. Sometimes we let the word “bust” escape our fingertips on the keyboard a…
The 2017 NFL Draft will feature many edge rushing prospects that have the potential to be elite players in the NFL. However, one name often mentioned might have trouble reaching that elite level. Jon Ledyard breaks down University of Tennessee prospect Derek Barnett and how his cornering ability leaves something to be desired. Dan Hatman recently…
The 2016 NFL season begins now, with 32 teams scheming to knock off the reigning champion Denver Broncos. The NFL Draft is just around the corner, but the first step in any offseason plan is to assess a team’s needs. Here we look at what the Oakland Raiders team needs are. These reports were compiled with…
Football is littered with specialized terminology. From punt gunner to climbing the pocket, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play.Inside The Pylon’s glossary was developed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game through clear explanations, as well as image and video examples. Pleasecontact us with any terms…
Few tasks are harder in the NFL than diffusing Watt of the Houston Texans. The two-time defensive player of the year forces opposing offenses to devise game plans around him in an effort to contain his disruptive ways. Brian Filipiak says that teams know they need to use almost every tactic to have a chance at slowing…
Inside the Pylon wants to provide quality, educational and engaging content to our readers. Got a question about football? We will answer it, either here in a future edition of the ITP mailbag or in a longer article. Thanks for reading! Do the OSR/DSR statistics featured on your homepage have predictive value? Mike Backherms: In…
Football is littered with specialized terminology. From 1 technique to pooch kick, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play. Inside The Pylon’s glossary was developed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game through clear explanations, as well as image and video examples. Please contact us with any…