Where in the world is DeMeco Ryans?

[Arky]

Ever since the Tennessee game (Game #2), linebacker DeMeco Ryans has been averaging 4.4 tackles/game. He had 12 & 13 tackles in the first two games, Pitt & Tenn respectively.

He's currently 32nd in the NFL in tackles with 47. Teammate Zac Diles is ahead of him in 22nd place with 57 tackles. DeMeco was 2nd in tackles his rookie year (2006) and tied for 6th last year so the lowered production is something some of us are not used to.

Just looking at the game stats, it's easy to figure out where he became injured and continued playing. From Megan Manfull's latest blog, we get this nugget in a reply to a poster:

(He's got ankle and shoulder problems, but he won't talk about them and he won't sit down. So he's trying to play through the pain.) MM

McClain has been saying that it is the type of injury that needs rest, as in, off-season rest and seems to think that even injured, he's better than the other alternatives. I'm a big fan of his and playing through the pain is admirable, but at what point does a 50% (or whatever) DeMeco become a liability? Could a Thompson/Bentley do a better job?

[cadams]

I don't want him off the field unless he can't do anything. they need him on the filed for many reasons other than just the stats

[KJ3]

at some point teams were going to figure out who the one making all the tackles was. time for others to step up to send 'em back demeco's way.

[coloradodude]

It's not just DeMeco. Our LB corp is not feared nor mentioned ever on the NFL channel.

See coaching change.

[NBT]

I agree with the camp that thinks DeMeco should just sit his butt down and get the aches & pains taken care of so he can go back to being the 12-15 tackle a game MLB we are used to..........OR, we can draft a bigger, more capable of handling the action in the the middle (James Laurainitis of OSU) MLB. That won't do anything for DeMeco this year but it would move him to his more natural WLB for next year when we make our big move up the W-L ladder. JMHO