Can Mike Nolan's defense generate enough sacks this year?

With the recent news that Jason Ferguson is retiring, I got to wondering….do we have a legit pass rush? The current roster has a ton of young talent, but not a single player has recorded a double digit sack total in a season. Dansby has had the most sacks in a season with 8. He should be our defensive general, but I don’t know if he’s the guy we want chasing the QB.  I think we will be successful and will analyze a few options that could pan out.

THE KIDS

Miami invested the majority of its draft on the front seven.

Jared Odrick, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, had 6.0 sacks for PSU last year and should see significant time at the DE position. Odrick has the demeanor you look for in a pass rusher.  ”I want to get after the quarterback every play that it’s a pass. Sacks don’t come every play … so it makes you hungry to go get that one” he said. If Phillip Merling is let go due to ongoing legal issues, Odrick may end up our opening day starter at DE.

Koa Misi has been called a steal. At Utah, Misi totaled 5 sacks in 2009. He has played the DE position as well as the rush LB. He should give Nolan a ton of flexibility.

Cameron Wake wowed us last year with glimpses of his potential. In his first game last year against Buffalo, Wake totaled 2.5 sacks. He will now be counted on as the premier edge rusher for our young defense. I expect him to be a top 10-15 rush end by seasons end.

THE VETS

Randy Starks, at 26, is the veteran of the group. He had a very good season last year with 7 sacks. This season he’s being asked to move inside and play NT. While it won’t be his main focus this year, he still possesses the skills to chase the QB out of the pocket and cause chaos.

Karlos Dansby was the big catch for the defense this offseason. He is the kind of player who makes big plays, and that includes pressuring the QB. He totaled 8 sacks in 14 games in ’06. He will need to be accounted for every down, and will be a huge part of the pass rush success.

MIKE NOLAN

Last, but probably most importantly, is defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Nolan has a tendency for turning defenses from putty to brick walls. In his first year as a DC, Nolan took a Giants team that gave up 23 ppg (ranked 26^th in the NFL), and turned them into the best defense in the league in the next season (12.9 ppg). Keith Hamilton led that team with 11.5 sacks. In his first season with Washington, he led them from a middle of the road defense to a top 10 defense. Three of Nolan’s four seasons with the Ravens, their defense was ranked in the top 10. He also has helped several average players achieve solid seasons from a QB pressure standpoint. Heck, he even got 8 sacks out of “Big Daddy” Dan Wilkinson one season!

I can’t wait to see what these guys put together this season!

Join us on our message board and share your thoughts!! FinNation Forums