Raiders Legend on How Edge Rushers Have Changed Over Time

Los Angeles Raiders legend Howie Long watches lots of film, and he evaluated what has changed at the defensive end position over the years.

Aug 29, 1992; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Raiders defensive tackle Howie Long (75) in action against the Houston Oliers during a pre-season game at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Raiders legend Howie Long is one of the best defensive linemen to ever play the game. 

Long is now a broadcaster for Fox NFL Sunday, spending the mornings before each game breaking down match-ups and studying players and teams. 

The game has changed so much since Long's Hall-of-Fame career in the 1980s. Football has evolved and grown in the last 40 years, and Long, as a film connoisseur, loves to evaluate it. 

Long joined Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Rush," and talked about how he feels the defensive end position has changed since his time in the league.

“The funny thing is, the game has gotten bigger everywhere, but edge rushers come in all shapes and sizes,” Long said. “I’ll give you an example. Terry Bradshaw’s offensive line weighed 255 pounds. Joe Greene was 278-280. I’ll tell you what, they ran the ball a ton. They ran a lot of traps, it was a lot like San Francisco, kind of misdirection; you never get hit by the guy in front of you; it’s always something – it’s smoke and mirrors. I think the biggest offensive lineman now is 325-330.”

Not only are offensive linemen bigger, but Long said offensive game plans have changed tremendously.

“What’s also changed is, unlike in my time, you’re throwing the ball, you’re in sub packages 70-plus percent of the time," he said. "You’re throwing the ball, or you’re giving the illusion of a running game out of gun with kind of a trick play. We talked about where backs align when they’re in gun, or they level with the quarterback, or they get behind the quarterback, are they in front of the quarterback?”

Long said he was always very observant of what the offense was doing pre-snap.

“The things that you’re supposed to be looking for, I could write down in a notebook five pages of things from when they break the huddle to when the ball is snapped," he said. "I always stood sideways when they broke the huddle because the last thing you hear is what coming out of the huddle? The snap count.”

Long surmised his answer by saying defensive ends today have more opportunities than he did when he was playing. 

Click here to watch the full podcast episode with Long and Crosby.

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