[Redrum]

Yes, the guy is a warrior with d-line skills and built like a brick s***house...but a smallish brick s***house.  And not much more established, experienced help behind him in the middle.  He benefited immensely last year from opponents focusing on Solomon Thomas outside, for all the good it did them.  Without Thomas, opponents can focus and pound on Phillips unless the DE/DTs are capable of taking up even half of the load Thomas carried.  It is interesting looking at current sizes of our DL.  Like they came out of the same mold.
DE  Cotton [6'6" 273] RS SR    Swann [6'2" 269] SO
DT  Philips [6'4" 285] SR  Williams [6'-2" 276] SO
DE  Jackson [6'6" 267] JR Schaffer [6'7" 266] SO
Average DL= 275

Compare that to, say, UDub which had its way with us (OK, OK they buried us and pissed on our grave) last year.
Their returning OL runs:
LT  [6'8" 320]
LG  [6'10" 287]
C    [6'4"  297]
RG  [6'4" 316]
RT    [6'7" 310]
Average OL=306   Advantage= 31 lbs. avg.

Or, USC

LT  [6'4" 290]
LG  [6'5" 300]
C    [6'4" 280]
RG  [6'2"  3I5]
RT  [6'6" 285]
Avg. OL = 285  Advantage =10 lbs

Or, UCLA 
LT [6'8" 310]
LG [6'4" 305]
C  [6'4" 315]
RG [6'2" 305]
RT [6'7"  310]
Avg. OL = 309  Advantage = 34 lbs.

Or, Notre Dame
LT [6'8" 312]
LG [6'5" 329]
C  [6'2" 305]
RG  [6'6" 305
RT  [6'7" 310]
Avg. OL = 315  Advantage = 40 lbs.

My point in this obsessive stat-a-thon isn't that all is lost or the sky is falling.  I know that, basically, in the 3-4 alignment the DL's job is mainly to keep the OL off the linebackers and let the LBs make the play. It's just that last year Solomon Thomas was a game changer with his mad skills. This season is going to much tougher on the front 7.  But this year we might not be able to cope over a long season if our opponents pound it to us on the ground or have a decent grasp of our pass game rush scheme.

[Redrum]

Yes, the guy is a warrior with d-line skills and built like a brick s***house...but a smallish brick s***house.  And not much more established, experienced help behind him in the middle.  He benefited immensely last year from opponents focusing on Solomon Thomas outside, for all the good it did them.  Without Thomas, opponents can focus and pound on Phillips unless the DE/DTs are capable of taking up even half of the load Thomas carried.  It is interesting looking at current sizes of our DL.  Like they came out of the same mold.
DE  Cotton [6'6" 273] RS SR    Swann [6'2" 269] SO
DT  Philips [6'4" 285] SR  Williams [6'-2" 276] SO
DE  Jackson [6'6" 267] JR Schaffer [6'7" 266] SO
Average DL= 275

Compare that to, say, UDub which had its way with us (OK, OK they buried us and pissed on our grave) last year.
Their returning OL runs:
LT  [6'8" 320]
LG  [6'10" 287]
C    [6'4"  297]
RG  [6'4" 316]
RT    [6'7" 310]
Average OL=306   Advantage= 31 lbs. avg.

Or, USC

LT  [6'4" 290]
LG  [6'5" 300]
C    [6'4" 280]
RG  [6'2"  3I5]
RT  [6'6" 285]
Avg. OL = 285  Advantage =10 lbs

Or, UCLA 
LT [6'8" 310]
LG [6'4" 305]
C  [6'4" 315]
RG [6'2" 305]
RT [6'7"  310]
Avg. OL = 309  Advantage = 34 lbs.

Or, Notre Dame
LT [6'8" 312]
LG [6'5" 329]
C  [6'2" 305]
RG  [6'6" 305
RT  [6'7" 310]
Avg. OL = 315  Advantage = 40 lbs.

My point in this obsessive stat-a-thon isn't that all is lost or the sky is falling.  I know that, basically, in the 3-4 alignment the DL's job is mainly to keep the OL off the linebackers and let the LBs make the play. It's just that last year Solomon Thomas was a game changer with his mad skills. This season is going to much tougher on the front 7.  But this year we might not be able to cope over a long season if our opponents pound it to us on the ground or have a decent grasp of our pass game rush scheme.