Connor Barwin: The most underappreciated man in the NFL
By Nick Dahl
Very little can be said positively about the Eagles right now.
Coming off their second loss of the season, Philadelphia fans are uneasy at best, and furious at worst. So far, the drastic changes made in the offseason have made little to no influence, and Chip Kelly's master plan to change the face of the organization is under fire, as the Eagles struggle on both sides of the ball. Star running back DeMarco Murray has compiled the worst rushing start to a season in NFL history, with a whopping total of 11 yards so far over 21 carries. At this point last year, he had 285 yards on the ground, and people were wondering if he was going to break the 30-year old rushing record. Kiko Alonso, the largest acquisition for the defense, is now out with a partially torn ACL, and, with the exception of one phenomenal play against the Falcons, he wasn't much of a factor in Philadelphia's first two games. Plus, Byron "Under the Rainbow" Maxwell has blown so many coverages, he's being compared to the infamous Nnamdi Asomugha.
Yes, times are tough in the City of Brotherly Love, but there is one man who has held his own as a beacon of hope, and that man is Connor Barwin. He's quickly becoming the hero of the Eagles defense, as well as a pillar in the culture of the city, turning in consistently strong starts and getting results when nobody else is able to.
Let's discuss why Barwin is the most underappreciated player in the NFL. He's a 6'4" linebacker, weighing in at 285 pounds, who has a 40-yard dash of 4.47 seconds. For a guy of that size, this is almost unheard of, and it would've been the fastest time of any linebacker if he tested in the Combine this year. In the Wonderlic test, an evaluation which assesses one's aptitude in problem solving and learning, Barwin scored a 23 (the average for linebackers is 19). His score is just below the median for quarterbacks, making him one of the smartest players at his position. He has a broad jump of 10'8", which would have placed him in the top ten in this year's Combine, across all positions, and a vertical of 40.5 inches, which would've been second. Needless to say, this guy is an athletic machine, and he has the ability to make big plays happen wherever he is placed.
But Connor Barwin's value stretches well beyond the mere limits of physical fortitude. His efforts during plays aren't always noticed, but his presence is always felt by the opposition. Last year, Barwin swatted down the most balls of any player in the NFC, and nearly tied the record set by J.J. Watt. This statistic seems insignificant at first glance, but you have to consider the psychological effect it has on opposing quarterbacks when their passes can't make it more than two yards down the field. If Barwin knocks down a few balls a game, and his presence continues to disturb quarterbacks in the pocket, they may naturally change their arm slot to account for his influence, and thus throw less accurate passes in the deep-ball game. He has the ability to scare a QB into changing their form, all while taking out a chunk of the field with his extensive reach, helping out his cornerbacks.
In 2014, Barwin had a banner year in blitzing, finishing the season with 12.5 sacks. It's also worth noting the influence he had in the game against the Carolina Panthers last season, when he took down Cam Newton, one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the game, a total of 3.5 times. In the month of November last year, Connor totaled 6.5 sacks, 24 tackles, two batted passes, and a forced fumble, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Month. And these stats fail to note the other plays he was involved in, such as chasing down quarterbacks across the field to ensure they don't scramble for twenty yards, and locking up running backs trying to break around the perimeter of the defensive line. He was honored by ESPN as #58 on their Top 100 Players of 2015 for his efforts, a well deserved recognition for a player coming into his own right in the prime of his career.
Barwin is a dynamic middle-defensive force as well, bringing down players who break through the initial lines of defense. So far in his 6+ year career, he has amassed a total of 236 tackles, an average of 3.93 per game if you remove those in which he didn't play because of injury. This included a monster game on November 17 in 2013, when he was responsible for 12 total tackles against the Washington Redskins, his career best. He's quick to pick up screen plays, and his horizontal versatility means he's able to pick up loose players in the open field before they create a big play (he scored a 6.87 sec. Three-Cone Drill) .
Plus let's not forget the guy can actually cover a wide-receiver route when needed. Already twice this year, Barwin has come up with major stops downfield when somebody blows a coverage, and his Football IQ is through the roof. Anybody watching the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons saw him, within the span of maximum two seconds, realize a wide-receiver was going to run free, change his direction from blitz to a coverage, and catch back up to the receiver in time to disrupt the play with his helmet (maybe it wasn't pretty, but it got the job done). Time after time, he bails out his teammates, and he's become a leading force for this defensive unit.
More on that. Ever since the departure of Brian Dawkins, the heart and soul of the Eagles for several years, the team has been missing a cultural leader. From the days of Nnamdi Asomugha, whose name sends shivers down Eagles fans, to the dark era of Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams, the Eagles have been lacking a strong force to help the team find confidence and camaraderie. Barwin is exactly that: an electrifying player who gets people motivated and proves every week what hard work and good ethic can achieve. Every practice, he's one of the last to leave the field, staying late to work with coaches on new defensive schemes and to help out the younger linebackers. He has the mentality of a rookie still trying to make the team, despite this being his seventh year in the NFL and his third with the Eagles. And his coaches can't stop complimenting him. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis, when reached for a comment said,
“He’s one of those guys that no matter what success they ever achieve it’ll never be enough, they’ll always keep working. They’ll always have a white-belt mentality. What I mean by that is it’s not like you’re a black belt and you’ve made it to the top. You’re a white belt and you’re thinking, ‘I can always get better, and it’s important to get better.’”
Connor Barwin is an active member of the city as well, serving the public through community service and neighborhood improvement projects. He works with local charities, such My Milk Crate and his very own Make the World Better Foundation (MWTB). He helped to unveil the brand new Ralph Brooks Park in South Philadelphia and takes SEPTA, Philly's local public transportation, to the stadium every week before the game, riding the subway alongside eager fans. Yes, Connor Barwin is quite possibly the best influence that the team has, and he will be a critical leader under Chip Kelly as the coach tries to reestablish the culture of this team.
It's time to start appreciating him.
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