Filling holes on defense key to spring practice

In an annual tradition during Alabama’s spring practice, the Crimson Tide’s “next man up” mantra is being put to the test for an NFL draft-depleted unit.

In 2015, the focus was on a quarterback battle, offensive line and diminished receiving corps. This season, in addition to a third straight quarterback battle, Alabama will have to replace much of its defensive front, with starting linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed and starting middle linebacker Reggie Ragland, all gone to the NFL draft. Key backup linemen D.J. Pettway and Darren Lake are gone as well.

“It’s a different feel because I played alongside them for two or three years,” lineman Dalvin Tomlinson said of Reed and Robinson. “There is some new faces we have to get used to on the defensive line, but we are still a big family. It won’t be different for too much longer.”

The defensive line’s rebuilding project was spared one step when junior Jonathan Allen announced his intention to return to Alabama, instead of declaring for the NFL draft. Allen, who finished 2015 with 12 sacks, is projected to figure prominently in the team’s new-look line, alongside Tomlinson and junior Da’Shawn Hand.

“I was pretty excited (when I heard he was coming back), because I know he is a good pass rusher and we could always use a good pass rusher,” Tomlinson said. “I feel like he was pretty close (to declaring), but I think he wanted to stay and graduate for his family.”

Allen hasn’t been able to practice in the spring, held back by an offseason surgery. That hasn’t stopped him from helping the line, Tomlinson said.

“He is always critiquing people on the field making sure the younger guys have their technique down,” Tomlinson said. “He even critiques me and helps me out every now and again. I think he has taken a good leadership role even though he is not practicing with us right now, he is still critiquing everyone and making sure everyone’s technique is good.”

Behind the line, senior Reuben Foster, who partnered Ragland as a starting inside linebacker, is set to pick up his departed teammate’s mantle. In spring practice, he’s been the defense’s primary signal caller, tight end O.J. Howard said, becoming the team’s “field general.”

Head coach Nick Saban said Foster, who improved from special teams standout to starting linebacker last spring, can take another step forward this year.

“I don't think we have any players that are good players who can't make improvement,” Saban said. “Michael Jordan and (Steph) Curry are probably two of the most dominant players in basketball and any time you watch a video about either one of these guys, all they talk about is what they have to do to get better. That's the expectation we have for any player on our team regardless of what they've done in the past or how good they've been.

“We don't have anybody in the room who's as good as (Steph) Curry or Michael Jordan, so I think everybody has a lot of room to improve so that's what we tell players. That's knowledge of the position, that's consistency in performance, it's better tackling, it's better pass coverage, becoming a better blitzer.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Filling holes on defense key to spring practice."