Tag: Bradley McDougald

Eagles CB Darius Slay omitted from a list raking the NFL’s 10 best in coverage

Darius Slay omitted from a list raking the NFL’s 10 best in coverage

The Philadelphia Eagles were able to address their biggest need this offseason, acquiring cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions for draft picks.

Slay is one of the NFL’s top cover men, yet he’s been disrespected on more than one occasion this offseason. Slay previously stated that he felt his 2019 season was “fantastic” despite critics and analysts suggesting that he was statistically one of the worst in the league.

Now in a list of the top players in coverage from NFL.com, Slay was again omitted for some lesser-known talent.

Using metrics that included passer rating allowed, catch rate allowed below expectation, tight-window percentage, target rate, and average separation yards.

Stephon Gilmore of New England was the No. 1 player on the list and deservedly so. Gilmore was followed by the Patriots J.C. Jackson, Justin Simmons, Tre’Darius White, and Bears safety Eddie Jackson rounded out the top-5.

In 2019 Slay managed a coverage grade of just 56.9, which ranked 92nd in the NFL as he racked up 36 total tackles, 13 pass deflections, two interceptions, and 0 forced fumbles.

Slay allowed 346 yards on 162 press coverage snaps, and 177 yards on 214 off-man coverage snaps.

The numbers are misleading and don’t really tell the full story as Slay was on a Lions team that had the worst pass defense in 2019, giving up almost 2845 yards per game. The Lions also had the second-lowest sack rate (28) in the league, thus forcing Slay in coverage longer than expected.

Even with the numbers, Slay was still one of the best in overall coverage and should make the list on merit alone and should definitely add fuel to his already growing fire.

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Kam Chancellor is a mentor for Seahawks safety Marquise Blair

Kam Chancellor has been seen working with Marquise Blair, a mentorship that should have huge benefits for the young Seattle safety.

If Seattle Seahawks fans were allowed to pick one former player to mentor one young player currently on the team, one of the most popular suggestions would be to have safety Kam Chancellor work with Marquise Blair, who is entering his second NFL season.

That wish has been granted, as multiple pictures of the two working together have surfaced in the last few days.

Chancellor was forced to medically retire following the 2017 season, and since then he has occasionally made appearances at practices, while also launching a line of men’s shoes and beginning a family with his wife.

It’s unclear if “Bam Bam” will ever get into coaching full-time, although it certainly seems to suit the 32-year-old, who made four Pro Bowls in his eight year career.

Blair joined the Seahawks in 2019, coming out of Utah as a rangey safety prospect who packed a punch – reminding fans of what they were missing with Chancellor’s sudden retirement.

Blair appeared in 14 games in his rookie season, starting three and recording 32 combined tackles, two forced fumbles and one pass defended. He ceded a starting role to Bradley McDougald and Quandre Diggs, who are each expected to start again in 2020.

However, Blair looks to have a bright future as a hard-hitting safety in the NFL, and learning from one of the best to ever do it can do nothing but help the youngster as he hopes to work his way into a big role in 2020.

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Seahawks grant Tedric Thompson permission to seek a trade

With a multitude of options already present at the safety spots, the Seahawks are allowing Tedric Thompson to explore trade opportunities.

The Seattle Seahawks have granted free safety Tedric Thompson permission to seek a trade, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

Thompson, 25, lost his starting job during the 2019 season after struggling to handle the responsibilities in deep coverage as the high safety in Pete Carroll’s cover-3 scheme. He was replaced by Quandre Diggs and immediately placed on the injured reserve, ending his season.

Considering Seattle’s depth at safety heading into 2020, which includes Diggs, Bradley McDougald, Marquise Blair and Lano Hill, it is no surprise Thompson is being given an opportunity to look for employment elsewhere.

If Seattle can swing Thompson for a late-round pick, they will also save $2.3 million in cap space, money that could be used to help shore up other key positions of need, primarily on the defensive side of the ball.

Thompson did record two interceptions and 19 combined tackles in six games last year, and while his flaws are definitely noticeable it’s not hard to imagine a team giving up a sixth or seventh round pick to take a shot on Thompson, as either a depth option at safety or a core special teams contributor.

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Bradley McDougald could leave Seahawks or switch to free safety after 2020

Strong safety Bradley McDougald could leave the Seattle Seahawks after this season or switch to free safety because of Marquise Blair.

Seattle Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald heads into the final season of his three-year, $13.5 million contract with the team, which could be his last in the Emerald City.

Since the demise of the Legion of Boom after the 2018 season, McDougald has been the biggest veteran presence in Seattle’s secondary. Perhaps as a result, he has been one of the most consistent players on the defense.

McDougald is coming off an impressive 2019 campaign in which he recorded 70 tackles (52 solo), six passes defended, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a half-sack in 15 games and 14 starts. He may have missed 12 tackles throughout the season, but he played his role in a struggling secondary well for the most part.

The Seahawks drafted strong safety Marquise Blair in the second round of last year’s draft and are hoping that he will eventually be a starter. McDougald held down the position quite well, but he could either switch to free safety or leave in free agency next season.

At 29 years old, McDougald has at least a few more solid years left in him. The Seahawks will hope that he can provide at least one more in the Emerald City.

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Quandre Diggs provides ‘steadying force’ in Seahawks victory

Quandre Diggs only had four tackles on Sunday, but his presence provided a huge boost to the Seattle Seahawks in their win over the Eagles.

The Seattle Seahawks gave up just nine points to a red-hot Eagles squad on Sunday, bailing out a struggling offense and helping lead to a 17-9 victory and a trip to the NFC divisional round for the seventh time in the last 10 years.

Part of Seattle’s success on the defensive side of the ball simply came from being healthy, with 10 out of 11 starters (all but Mychal Kendricks) healthy and active for Sunday’s thriller.

While Jadeveon Clowney got more attention for his hit on Carson Wentz and his overall performance, it was the return of Quandre Diggs that helped steer Seattle’s defense toward victory.

“He’s just been such a steadying force ever since he’s played with us,” coach Pete Carroll said after the game. “We’ve played really well when he’s been with us and he just did it again. He just has a steadying presence about him and guys play better around him and it’s a great quality to have.”

Diggs recorded four combined tackles, a relatively quiet night, but his performance had a big impact on the rest of the defense – in particular Bradley McDougald, who finished with a season-high 11 combined tackles including two for a loss and one sack.

McDougald was able to play up near the line of scrimmage thanks to Diggs’ incredible sideline-to-sideline speed, a huge bonus for this team they would not have had with Lano Hill or Marquise Blair back in coverage.

The Seahawks need Diggs to remain a steadying force in their divisional matchup against the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday, which will kick off at 3:40 p.m. PT.

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Quandre Diggs not expected to play Week 16 against Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that safety Quandre Diggs has a high-ankle injury, and his status for Week 16 is in jeopardy.

The Seattle Seahawks went into Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers down four defensive starters, and they left the game down two more – Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs – who both suffered sprained ankles in the team’s Week 15 victory.

Wagner’s injury seems to be minor, but Diggs may not have gotten as lucky.

Carroll confirmed on 710 ESPN Monday morning that Diggs suffered a high ankle sprain and said they don’t know exactly how long he will be out.

“Quandre, he had a high-ankle shot there, so we’re gonna have to see how that goes and how he responds to it,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN’s Pete Carroll show Monday morning. “We don’t know at this point. Some of these injuries are really bad and sometimes guys have bounced right back. We don’t know yet.”

Diggs has been a huge addition to Seattle’s defense, recording three interceptions, one for a touchdown, as well as 21 combined tackles and one forced fumble in five games since coming over in a trade from the Lions.

He has been Seattle’s highest performer in the secondary, and his play has elevated the play of Bradley McDougald as well.

Seattle will likely turn to Lano Hill and potentially Marquise Blair to replace Diggs for as long as he is out, and updates on his status will be available throughout the week.

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Instant analysis of Seattle’s 17-9 victory over Philadelphia

In one of the uglier games of the season – even by Seattle’s standards – the Seahawks’ defense stifled the Philadelphia Eagles and helped lead them to a 17-9 victory.

In one of the uglier games of the season – even by Seattle’s standards – the Seahawks’ defense stifled the Philadelphia Eagles and helped lead them to a 17-9 victory.

Seattle is now 9-2 on the year.

A 58-yard touchdown run from Rashaad Penny early in the fourth quarter gave Seattle a two-touchdown lead, and an interception by Tre Flowers late in the fourth was the final nail in the coffin of an Eagles team that struggled all game against Seattle’s defense.

Penalties were a huge part of the game story, with Seattle getting penalized a whopping 12 times. They were penalized 10 times before Philadelphia received their first penalty late in the third quarter. They finished with two penalties for 15 yards, nothing compared to Seattle – who struggled with discipline upfront on the line of scrimmage all day long.

The wind had a huge impact on this game as well, with both quarterbacks struggling to generate yards through the air. Both Carson Wentz and Russell Wilson missed wide-open receivers throwing against the wind, and punts and kicks were considerably less effective all day long.

Seattle scrapped their way to a 10-3 lead at halftime, although they should have been up by multiple scores. A rare miss from Wilson to tight end Jacob Hollister in the end zone cost them four points (they converted a field goal instead) and a dropped catch by DK Metcalf, also in the end zone, cost them seven.

After the Eagles struck first on a short field goal midway through the first quarter, Seattle responded quickly on a flea-flicker from Chris Carson to Russell Wilson that worked perfectly, as Wilson hit Malik Turner in the end zone on a dime for a touchdown.

It was Seattle’s first flea-flicker of the season and gave them an early lead.

Later in the half, Ziggy Ansah forced a fumble that was negated by a Shaquill Griffin holding penalty, but Seattle forced a turnover a few plays later on an interception from Bradley McDougald.

The interception was part of a disastrous game from Wentz, who lost two fumbles and threw another interception – this one by Flowers – which sealed the game late in the fourth.

Wentz finished 33-45 with 256 yards, one garbage-time touchdown, two interceptions, and two lost fumbles.

Shaquem Griffin was the catalyst behind one of Wentz’s fumbles on his first big play of the season as a member of the defense, drilling Wentz and forcing a fumble that was recovered by Branden Jackson.

Griffin had a really solid game, flashing excellent disruption as a pass rusher and finishing with four tackles and one pass defended.

The Seahawks moved to 6-0 on the road this season, and will now root for Green Bay on Sunday night against San Francisco, Seattle’s NFC West rival.

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Seattle’s secondary is set with Quandre Diggs and Bradley McDougald

The Seattle Seahawks are set to go the rest of the way with Bradley McDougald and Quandre Diggs as the starting safety tandem.

The Seattle Seahawks were fortunate to add two big time players to the active roster ahead of their Monday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers – receiver Josh Gordon, who had two crucial late-game catches – and safety Quandre Diggs.

Diggs took over as Seattle’s starting free safety and was all over the field, recording a pair of tackles and a big time interception, which he returned 44 yards to set up an eventual touchdown.

Coach Pete Carroll was thrilled with Diggs’ debut, and he had high praise for the pairing of Diggs and fellow veteran Bradley McDougald, who started alongside him at strong safety.

“I thought that was the best game that our safeties have played,” Carroll said on Tuesday. “I’m hoping that we can continue to grow and get better and feed off it.”

That’s not great news for rookie Marquise Blair and third-year Lano Hill, who are both now on the outside looking in for a regular role on this Seattle defense.

Blair will work in when the Seahawks run dime packages, according to Carroll, but he did not see a single defensive snap on Monday night.

While Blair looked solid in his first few games in the secondary, it’s not surprising to see coach Carroll turn to his veteran guys to finish out the year. After the debacle that was Tedric Thompson, and the inconsistency from Hill, it’s nice to have two guys who have a track record of success manning the defensive backfield.

Diggs has the ranginess and hard-hitting required to excel as a cover-3 free safety in Carroll’s scheme, and his experience limits him from making mistakes – something they couldn’t afford to deal with from Blair.

Carroll cautioned that it’s still early to evaluate exactly how Diggs will mesh after just one game, but they are working on finding his perfect fit on this defense.

“It’s an early assessment because Q’s just played one game,” Carroll continued. “He can do a lot of things, so we’ll be anxious to figure out how he can complement what we’re doing and utilize him now that he’s crossed the threshold of playing time for us.”

The Seahawks will watch Sunday’s slate of games from their own homes before getting ready for their Week 12 matchup against the Eagles in Philadelphia, scheduled for Nov. 24.

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Week 10 snap counts: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

The Seattle Seahawks played a lot of their new players, Josh Gordon and Quandre Diggs, in their victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seattle Seahawks improved to 8-2 on the season with a thrilling overtime victory over the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, a game that will go down as an instant classic between the two NFC West rivals.

Seattle had a few tricks up their sleeves in this one, including the team debuts for both safety Quandre Diggs and receiver Josh Gordon.

Gordon was on the field for 28 snaps, hauling in a handful of crucial catches down the stretch to keep Seattle in the game.

Diggs played all 88 of Seattle’s defensive snaps, settling in as the team’s starting free safety alongside Bradley McDougald – giving Seattle a veteran duo to man the secondary.

The Seahawks also gave core special teamer Shaquem Griffin a new role on the defense, as the second-year saw 14 snaps on defense – all coming as an edge rusher in obvious passing downs. He previously had not played a single snap on defense this season, and appeared to be replacing Ziggy Ansah, who himself only saw 14 total snaps.

The Seahawks once again relied heavily on Chris Carson, who was on for 71 of Seattle’s 74 offensive snaps. Rashaad Penny only saw three total snaps, and did not come back into the game after fumbling early in the third quarter.

Jacob Hollister played in 58 snaps, thanks in part to an injury to Luke Willson that kept him out and limited him to just 14 total snaps.

Here is a look at Seattle’s snap counts and play percentages for Monday’s game.

And for the 49ers:

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