The 330-pound Colin Cole replaces the
308-pound Rocky Bernard.
The addition of defensive tackle Colin Cole shows the Seahawks front office is trying to fix one of the biggest problems with the defense: run stuff.
While rush defense appears to be the best asset of the 2008 defense, ranking no. 18 in the league, defensive schemes tell a different story. As ex-defensive coordinator John Marshall keyed in against the run to prevent another 2008 playoff Lambeau debacle, the rest of the defense suffered.
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The downturn of the "bend but don't break" 2007 Seahawks defense occurred in the playoff game against the Packers. The Seahawks had stuck primarily with the cover-2 defense for much of the season with great success. That is until Green Bay’s Ryan Grant ran all over them, accumulating 201 yards and three touchdowns.
2008 saw a shift where the Seahawks played a lot more cover-1, leaving free safety Brian Russell to cover most of the secondary while strong safety Deon Grant played up front, a lot like a linebacker to help stop the run. This led to the downfall of the secondary and the downfall of the defense as a whole.
To fix the problems in the secondary, one only needs to address the issues on the defensive line.
Bulking up the front four
The Seahawks signed stout defensive tackle Cole to man the middle with Brandon Mebane. He contrasts Bernard in that Bernard was a decent pass rusher but lacked run-stop skills, often being pushed aside. He stands 6-3 and weighs 308 pounds.
Cole, on the other hand, is only 6-1 but weighs a hefty 330 pounds. He excelled at stopping the run in Green Bay but remained average in his pass-rush technique.
Some might argue that Cole is a career backup, and that might be true. However, with the frequency in which the Seahawks rotate their defensive linemen, there should be no problem with Cole getting the “start” on Seattle’s line.
The defensive tackles, in order on the depth chart are as follows:
Brandon Mebane: 6-1, 314 lbs.
Colin Cole: 6-1, 330 lbs.
Craig Terrill: 6-2 295 lbs.
Red Bryant: 6-4, 318 lbs.
Howard Green: 6-2, 320 lbs. (free agent)
With Cole, it’s clear the Seahawks were looking for the biggest and possibly best run stuffing defensive tackle in free agency. However it’s likely that’s all they’ll get out of him at the position.
Bryant has the potential to start next to Mebane, but he needs to prove himself in training camp and preseason before that happens. His year was cut short due to injuries and he wound up playing only four games.
If Cole earns the start, Mebane will have to improve his pass-rushing technique. But if teams decide to run on the duo, they’ll likely be met by a wall.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
