Schobel...more than a dozen sacks?

[lordofgun]

From CBS Sportsline:

Buffalo: Defensive end Aaron Schobel has a chance to emerge as a valuable player in many Fantasy leagues that use individual defensive players. With 330-pound defensive tackle Sam Adams lining up next to 315-pound tackle Pat Williams in Buffalo's 4-3 scheme, Schobel will have plenty of one-on-one matchups to exploit. He led the team with 8.5 sacks last season, and there's talk Schobel can compile 14-16 in 2003.

14-16 would be great, but I honestly don't see him with over a dozen. Still, a dozen would be great.

[Stewie]

10-12 would be great i'd be very happy.. the problem with schobel is he gets multiple sacks against one opponent then dissappears for a big stretch of the season.. hopefully he gets 10-12 and no more than 2 against one OL

[G. Host]

I see no problem with him getting that many sacks in that scenerio. However Sam Adams hasn't been 330 pounfs in a long time and Pat Williams isn't 315 either. When they spend as much time getting in shape as Travis Henry appears to be then we will have a dominant line.

[BillsNYC]

Ted Washington was dominate when he was overweight.

[casdhf]

they only need to be dominant 2 plays a series. 1st and 10 and 2nd and 9.

[OpIv37]

I think those numbers are overly optimistic, but if he does it the Bills will have an incredible season.

It will be nice to see a tough defense on the field again.

[HenryRules]

Individual sacks as a statistic are overrated IMO (as are most defensive statistics). As long as Schoebel gets back there on a consistent basis and gets consistent pressure on the QB I'm happy. Whether that results in only 8 sacks but an increase in incompletions/interceptions or whether it results in 14 sacks, I don't care, as long as he's preventing the QB from doing what he wants to do.

I also find it funny that a guy with 15 sacks is considered amazing, but a guy with 9 or less can be considered replaceable, when the difference is only 6 plays in an entire season.

[XNOUGHT]

Shobel could emerge as a high quality player.

There are reason why TD went with Willis. And one reason is that the Bills filled their needs, they just need production.

[Turf]

There seems to be a general bias say like when Bruce gets 12 sacks, they were all incredible, and when a newbie like Shoebel get's 8 or 9, most of them didn't really come that hard.
That same logic could be used against any other player in the league.
I think what really matters the most here is what they do when they're not posting sacks. Are they stopping the run? Pressuring the QB? Drawing attention away from other players?
This is where players like Bruce and Reggie White got their name from, they had to be accounted for.
So rather than say Shoebel's sacks were meaningless, it might be wiser to say that until he starts getting double teamed and needs to be accounted for, the numbers don't mean as much.
This is why I was never sold on Wiley, and I still don't think he's a premier end in the league.

[TigerJ]

Interesting thought! Frankly, I don't know that we can count on that. We know Schobel is a good solid DE we don't know how much the weak interior line has held down his sack totals. We don't know if he has any greatness in him. I guess we're going to find out.

[Doc]

Schobel posted 6.5 sacks as a rookie, again with a weak defense, and improved by 2 sacks with possibly even less talent (losing Hansen and Foreman). Having Pat and Sam next to him, and hopefully a healthy Marcus Jones, will surely boost him into double-digit sacks. I still am not convinced of his potential to stop the run.

[ublinkwescore]

Won't Spikes be lined up like right behind Schobel?

[colin]

Sure, Schobel could get 14-16. He has big speed and can freeze his man. He is not that strong, but does not need to be on our new powered up line.

I expect 10+, and all he needs is to be the one who finishes the play on 3rd and long when we blitz, and we will get plenty of 3rd and longs, and do plenty of blitzing.

[R. Rich]

Schobel could have a great year, but a lot has to do with the effectiveness of Williams and Adams in the middle. They need to stuff the run, help to collapse the pocket from the interior, and, above all else, STAY HEALTHY!!! If they can do that, I believe Schobel could have a pretty good year. I think 10-12 sacks is reasonable, and I think he could do more if the Bills can shut down the inside.

[Dozerdog]

bout the same from Schoebel, but I expext a LOT more from the LB's , blitzing DB's, and the other linemen.