3 Things Chris Board Can Improve Upon in 2022
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Back in March, one week into free agency, the Lions signed linebacker Chris Board.
Board signed a one-year deal with Detroit worth $1,994,112.
Prior to signing with the Lions, Board had spent four seasons with the Ravens, after originally being an undrafted free agent signed by them in 2018 out of North Dakota State.
While stats do not paint the whole picture about a player, they do provide insight.
During Board’s time in Baltimore he only missed two games (played in 63 games). He logged 94 career tackles (52 solo), and added 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four tackles for loss and one pass defensed.
The thing his stats scream is dependability and not being a playmaker, and that is exactly what showed up on game film last season.
Growing up, I scoured every football magazine I could get my hands on. There was one in particular that helped shape my scouting philosophy. It was called, “Don Heinrich’s Pro Preview".
Heinrich provided an overall team grade, in what he termed as the “Talent Quotient".
It really peaked my interest how he did this. He gave each team in the league an overall grade, some better than others, as a way of predicting the records of each team.
It provided my first scientific insight into the importance of upgrading a team’s talent level through acquisitions, and my first insight into an objective way to predict how a team would finish a season.
Every move being made by the Lions needs to be done to upgrade the team's overall “Talent Quotient", and with Board, nothing on his game film says he will help the Lions win games.
In other words, this particular roster move did not move the meter.
Board played somewhat sparingly for the Ravens last season, as well, logging 30.97 percent of the team's snaps.
Yes, he doesn’t miss games, and yes, he can make tackles after the damage is done. But, Detroit needs more than that to win.
There are three things Board will have to improve upon in the upcoming season.
1.) Play more aggressively
In just about every aspect when Board was on the field in the game film I watched, he looked soft and hesitant. For example, when providing support in pass coverage, he paused before striking.
Meanwhile, in run support, he did not dream of getting involved until the run reached his level (or even further downfield).
The only time he looked decent was in man coverage, carrying backs and tight ends.
All the rest of the time he didn’t look the part.
Board needs to play like he wants to be here, because he did not look like he wanted to be in Baltimore (a major reason why he’s not there anymore).
2.) Blitz like he means it
Last season, Board was sent on a fair number of blitzes, but he was extremely hesitant firing inward. Granted, he did get in on one sack during the last game of the season against the Steelers, when he snuck into the pocket clean.
Other than that he either started, and then stopped (losing his momentum), or hit into a blocker and got zero movement at the point of attack.
Kirthmon F. Dozier, USA TODAY NETWORK
Board needs to fire in when his number is called. Otherwise, it makes no sense to even blitz, because all he is doing is taking himself completely out of the play.
In these situations when he is hesitant blitzing, he can’t get to the quarterback, plus he is too far out of position to be in place to provide tackling support, if a short pass is completed.
3.) Greatly improve at shedding blocks on running plays
Board got pushed around by linemen in the run game. Hat-on-hat, he was done.
He is better in pass coverage than the run game, but if he hopes to see an increase in his snap time and wants to see another NFL contract after this year, he is going to have to find a way to prove to be a three-down linebacker.
The greater the accrued seasons a player has, the more value he needs to bring, due to the salary cap. Teams can find situational, non-playmaking role players a lot cheaper in the later rounds of the draft.
Board is either going to have to out-quick blockers or greatly improve on disengaging to make tackles at or near the line of scrimmage.
He needs to do anything besides getting manhandled.
