Matt Roth - In or Out ?

Good thead Really makes you think what way BP will go with Roth. IMO if Roth works his butt off this offseason he will win a spot.

 

During every PC Sparano reminds us that all positions are up for grabs. Looking at the depth we have at DE including Starks, Moses, Wright, Holliday, Merling, Langford and finally Roth I don't think we can assume anything.

It will be an interesting camp for our front 7 on defense. Perhaps there will be a lot of rotation to keep these guys fresh. Ultimately, someone has to do. I just hope it is not Moses. I think he has showed upside, and should be given a chance.

As for Roth, again, he needs a good camp. If I had to predict, Id say Roth plays passing downs in a nicked package or something. I don't think he will be considered big enough to hold down the POA on running plays.

 

Matt Roth is and always was a good situational pass rusher. IMO his size/weakness preclude him from starting. With him having to constantly work past the physical shortcomings, he's gonna be hurt too often. My Guess: He will continue to play a role if and only if he learns some wedge busting special teams acumen ala D. Bowens.

 

As Darlington pointed out, Roth has the kind of motor and work ethic the new regime loves.

I think a good deal of Roth's issues last year were health related, so I think he'll be given the shot to see what he does when healthy. Worse case scenario I see him as a situational pass rusher.

 

That is a good point and one to seriously consider. IF he plays like he did last year, he will be cut. That is what I voted on just because I am not so sure he is not the player I saw on the field last season. I am just not sure he has the body to fit anywhere in a 3-4. I guess time will tell...

 

we'll see, he certainly fits the profile of our new regime, nasty, tough, character, non stop motor, i think they can find a place for him, he has some talent, he was selected in the second round.

Can yall imagine JT and Vonnie wearing the black makeup that roth wears on gameday?.....me neither

 

It is kind of odd that some say he won't fit a 3-4 defense since he was drafted for that role by Saban. I understand there are differences in the Saban's defensive fronts and our current scheme, but I would imagine the skills required would be somewhat comparable.

While I would not be surprised to see him become an effective starter, I think he will be great in the rotation as he showed so much promise in that role a few years back. We saw so many guys drafted this year who were described as mean, high motor players and I think Roth fits the bill.

Awesome video Crunch!

 

I think this is used too much. The "no allegiance" thing. Sometimes coaches do keep players around a little longer due to the fact they drafted them, however if the player doesn't play up to spec most coaches cut those players whether they drafted them or not.

It is just the coaches want players and if Roth turns out to be a player they are going to keep him, if he doesn't they are going to get rid of him. That goes for everyone they got, maybe with the exception of Jake Long.

 

Roth is strong for his size ala Marco Coleman...im not sure its enough to play DE in a 3-4 but if he can get up to around 285 I think he could play in the rotation and not hurt the D.

 

Well Roth still put up 3 sacks and a FF despite supposedly being hampered all year by a groin injury. I'm sure he'll be in the rotation as he's still cheap to keep around. I think the key is that Roth's tackles have gone up each year he's been in the league. If his groin is healthy he could do well in the system. He's got the height (6 foot 4) and his listed weight is 272lbs. The main thing that will help his case is that he works hard which is a key thing Parcells looks for.

 

Roth has a place on the team, but not as a starter, iMO. I believe Vonnie Holliday and Randy Starks will start. Matt Roth will fight with Kendall Langford for playing time in our 3-4 alignments. Phil Merling will come in on 4-DL alignments as a pass rusher.

I don't see how anyone could think Matt Roth has been a good situational pass rusher for us. He does not generate the kind of pass rush a team needs from a situational pass rusher. A situational pass rusher needs to be able to come in and apply pressure on the quarterback, even if he isn't too keen on the run. He needs to be David Bowens, Lorenzo Brommell, Trace Armstrong. Matt Roth is much more Kenny Mixon than any of those guys.

I disagree with the blogger who thinks Roth is practically already off the team. But, at the same time, he's not long for this team IMO. Phil Merling will be our situational pass rusher...and we needed one real badly. The best situational pass rusher we had all last year was Quentin Moses, and you know something is wrong when that is the case. It's too important a position for a scrap heap waiver wire rookie to end up your best one.

 

I can't agree there.

B.

 

I really like Matt Roth because of his motor and heart. I just think back to the days when JJ first drafted a guy named Taylor and he kept asking him to bulk up and Taylor just couldn't do it. In that kind of situation I would like to see Roth lose some of that added weight and gain some speed so as to be used as a LBer. As it is he will never make it to 300 lbs so he won't ever be the size Bill desires for a DE in the 3-4.

 

Those were my exact thoughts in regards to Roth last year. His first couple of seasons, JT was not the force he is today. So I felt Roth still had a chance to develop into a great player, too.

But he was so awful last season I completely gave up on him.

I thought Roth was supposed to have put on weight last year. But he's still listed at 272 lbs. He needs to get to at least 290 lbs to play DE.

Is Roth athletic enough to play OLB or even ILB?
Can he put on weight and play DE?

I think the answer to both of those questions is probably no. His height, weight, and speed make him a better fit for DE in a 4-3 defense.

 

I've always liked him but with all the moves we've made, I just don't see him on the roster and he'll get cut. it's not likely the FO will cut "their guys" first.
just a feeling.

 

I think there's most certainly a place for him, but not as a starter.

I think he's basically best fit to fill the role that Jarvis Green does in the Patriots defense. Same build, same skills. Not really a traditional 2-gap 3-4, and not a starting DE barring injury, just a jack-of-all-trades DE. Basically, a situational pass rusher that plays DE or DT in 4-man fronts, and DE in 3-man fronts on passing downs.

I disagree. When he's gotten snaps in as a pass rushing down DE, he's performed. The only year he really got a chance to do that was late '07, coincidently when he had two multi-sack games. In '05, he was mostly run down in for Carter at strongside DE, and in '07 he was almost exclusively a DT in 4-man passing down fronts.

I think it's quite possible, his primary role is a DE on 4-man fronts this next year. Having both Joey Porter AND Jason Taylor last in a down stance was a weakness last year, and alot of 3-4 teams will use a bigger lineman at one of those spots rather than two OLBs.

 

Thanks for referencing my column, CrunchTime!

You know my stance, but with this regime it's difficult to be sure of anything.

For all I know, he could be cut tomorrow or could end up staring all 16 games in '08.

 

I think he could prove to be a good "Situational" type player. That being said, he would probably be one of the very last roster spots available as our team makeup doesnt constitute the "luxery" of having situational type players.

I do hope him well, and hope he still turns out to be a key cog-for us, however, as I already voiced in another thread, he really has been a disappointment to date and I am not sure he will make the final roster...

 

His motor and drive will keep him on the team, his size and lack of speed will keep him from starting, only as a situational pass rusher IMHO. I really like this thread BTW, and the GIF of course, as always.

Looks like I voted with the majority, but really wanted to vote I am not a genie, just because I thought that was such a cool answer!