The Best-Kept Secret on Every NFL Roster

Superstars get most of the love, but NFL teams are stitched together by above-average players who may never get their due. This article is an active salute to every franchise’s unheralded anchor.

For some teams, that may be a young player who’s slowly working up the depth chart. For others, it could be a veteran role player. Either way, these athletes help their teams on Sundays and influence offseason decisions, even if they aren’t Aaron Rodgers or Odell Beckham Jr.

They’re the offensive linemen or defensive tackles who aren’t mentioned much by color commentators, the skill players who aren’t picked up in fantasy football leagues and the late-round picks who bloom into starters.cheap nfl authentic jerseys

In his first two seasons in the NFL, undrafted free agent Olsen Pierre was unable to get on the field. Last season, Pierre finished with 11.5 tackles at or behind the line. That number ranked behind only Chandler Jones (29) and Corey Peters (12) for Arizona in 2017.

Under defensive coordinator James Bettcher, the Cardinals had not had a full-time 3-technique role for any defensive tackle for several years. This is one reason why Pierre played just 33 percent of Arizona’s defensive snaps, despite his production.cheap authentic nfl jerseys

New Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, formerly the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator, will bring a 4-3 defense and a full-time penetrating defensive line role to the desert. That can only mean good things for Pierre, who is one of the brightest young players at the position.

Dan Quinn’s last season as a college defensive coordinator was 2012 with the Florida Gators. That happened to be cornerback Brian Poole’s true freshman season at Florida. When Poole went undrafted in 2016, his former defensive coordinator picked him cheap nfl jerseys from china up as a potential slot cornerback.

Since that signing, the 5’9″ defensive back has played 1,465 defensive snaps for the Atlanta Falcons. Poole’s story is a perfect example of scouting and projection into highly specific roles.

Quinn essentially found a full-time starter in college free agency. nfl cheap jerseys Only six Falcons (Robert Alford, Ricardo Allen, Keanu Neal, Deion Jones, De’Vondre Campbell and Desmond Trufant) have played more defensive snaps over the last two years than Poole.

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