6-11, 6th place
Another fairly unsuccessful campaign. Sydney has all the offensive tools it needs, but the defense is continually suspect.
They lost their 1st 2 games of the season and never got closer to .500 than that. The best result of the year was a surprising victory over Tokyo, but there was just little to celebrate down under in Year II.
The Off Season
The offense seems to be settling into an identity; the challenge is the defense.
Bottom Line
Strengths
QB, RB, WR, DE.
Needs
DB, LB, DT.
Offense
Pts: 9th
Rush/G: 10th
Pass/G: 7th
Yards/Play: 5th
Skill
The top end talent here is quite strong, starting with Dan Marino (16.8 AV, 4107 passing yards, 37:17 TD:interception). Donovan McNabb (0.8 AV) did enough to lock up the backup position next year.
The Lightning & Thunder combo of Wilbert Montgomery (10.6 AV, 1032 rush yards, 6 TDs) and Larry Csonka (2.1 AV, 523 rush yards, 10 TDs) continues to be quite effective, both should be back. In addition to his kick return duties, Darren Sproles (3.3 AV) adds another option, which leaves LeSean McCoy (2.0 AV) in search of greener pastures.
Harold Carmichael (14.2 AV, 77 receptions, 1233 yards, 11 TDs) and Jeremy Maclin (11.6 AV, 63 receptions, 963 yards, 8 TDs) are quite solid, and Dwight Clark (8.5 AV) solidified his grasp on the #3 slot. Clark may head elsewhere, despite the Great White’s desire to retain him. Brian Hartline (1.5 AV) deserves a look somewhere as well.
Zach Ertz (13.7 AV, 53 receptions, 9 TDs) had perhaps the best year of any TE in the league.
OL
Anchored by Larry Little (13.9 AV, 26 holes), Dwight Stephenson (12.2 AV), and Bob Brown (10.8 AV, 25 holes) the OL was quite solid. Evan Mathis (9.6 AV) was good enough to dominate on most teams; here he was the 4th best on the OL, a group rounded out by Lane Johnson (7.9 AV).
Tra Thomas (1.3 AV) was good enough to find a job.
Special Teams
K Cody Parkey (0.7 AV, 13 of 23 FG, 1 50+) struggled. He was good enough to retain the job throughout the season, but not to survive after. P Matt Darr (-0.8 AV) was better than Parkey, but not enough to avoid the same fate.
Sproles wasn’t great on returns, but he retains the job.
LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (0.7 AV) stays as the Gunner.
Defense
Pts/G: 14th
Rush Yards/G: 16th
Pass Yards/G: 10th
Yards/P: 14th
DL
Jason Taylor (11.4 AV, 4 sacks, 69 tackles, 15 hurries, 13 deflections, 5 forced fumbles) and Reggie White (9.3 AV, 54 tackles, 22 hurries) remain the best players on Sydney’s DL, but the fall off from there is significant. Brian Young (3.3 AV), Deandre Coleman (3.1 AV), and Keith Traylor (3.1 AV) all deserve a shot somewhere, as does Darrell Palmer (1.7 AV), but none of them showed enough to start at DT.
Neil Smith (0.4 AV) was intriguing in a brief cameo, but again not enough to warrant retention. Vinny Curry (0.0 AV) led the Great White in sacks in Year I but barely got a sniff in Year II.
LB
Zach Thomas (10.9 AV, 97 tackles, 9 deflections) remains a tackling machine, but he needs some help. Connor Barwin (7.1 AV, 93 tackles) did enough to retain his job, but that’s about it.
Cameron Wake (3.1 AV) could start somewhere, and Mychal Kendricks (2.4 AV), Chuck Bednarik (1.3 AV), and Byron Evans (0.9 AV) all could help a team looking for depth.
DB
There is just a ton of mediocrity here.
Reshad Jones (3.6 AV) sticks around on the combined work of Year II and Year I, and Eric Allen (5.7 AV, 84 tackles, 4 interceptions, 11 deflections) did barely enough to be retained at one CB slot. But while Malcolm Jenkins (4.3 AV, 16 deflections) and Troy Vincent (2.9 AV) showed enough to start, it won’t be in Sydney.
Louis Delmas (1.9 AV, 60 tackles), Jake Scott (1.1 AV), Dee Milliner (0.7 AV), and Nate Allen (0.6 AV) may all move on as well.
Players Retained
Franchise
QB: Dan Marino
RB: Wilbert Montgomery
WR: Harold Carmichael, Jeremy Maclin
OL: Dwight Stephenson
DL: Jason Taylor, Reggie White
LB: Zach Taylor, Connor Barwin
DB: Reshad Jones
Protected
RB: Larry Csonka, Darren Sproles
WR: Dwight Clark
TE: Zach Ertz
OL: Larry Little, Bob Brown, Evan Mathis, Lane Johnson
DB: Eric Allen
Reserves
QB: Donovan McNabb
LB: Kamu Grugier-Hill
Taxis Kept
OL: Norm Evans
LB: Trent Cole
Players Waived
To Start Somewhere
LB: Cameron Wake
DB: Malcolm Jenkins, Troy Vincent
To Play Somewhere
RB: LeSean McCoy
WR: Brian Hartline
OL: Tra Thomas
DL: Brian Young, Deandre Coleman, Keith Traylor, Darrell Palmer, Neil Smith, Vinny Curry
LB: Mychal Kendricks, Chuck Bednarik, Byron Evans, Peter Boulware
DB: Melvin White, Louis Delmas, Jake Scott, Dee Milliner, Nate Allen
K: Cody Parkey
Released
QB: Tommy Thompson, Mark Brunell, Roy Zimmerman
RB: Steve Van Buren, Randy McMillan, Bernie Parmalee
WR: Jason Avant, Ben Hawkins
TE: Brent Celek, Chad Lewis, Mickey Schuler Jr
OL: Jon Dorenbos, Todd Herremans, Brian Waters, Weston Richburg
DL: Randy Starks, John Denney, Ego Ferguson, Dion Jordan, DeAndre Coleman, Ed Jasper, Derland Moore
LB: John Offerdahl, Carlos Emmons, Akeem Jordan
DB: Rich Miano, Trumaine Johnson, Demetri Gordon, Leonard Johnson
K: Ryan Succop
P: Matt Darr