| burningmetal |
09-29-2014 07:52 PM |
Re: My Draft over-reaction
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halo
(Post 614949)
We also plugged difficiencies in our LB corp with Safeties. We had two "leaders" on defense in Vilma and Shanle. Vilma was the field general. Shanle stepped up when Scott Fujita left for Cleveland.
We have never replaced those leaders on defense. Like their play or not, our LB's are essentially invisible on the field. I've said since the first game that our defense plays like they are only playing with 10 men on the field, that's because there's a double deficiency somewhere - probably poor d-line and unreliable LB's to plug those holes.
So we FIX the problem with safeties. Everyone trashes Roman Harper, but now it's apparent he was plugging holes as an outside linebacker. We didn't have the foresight to simply name him "OLB" on the roster and make way.
Finally, folks mentioning Malcolm Jenkins with 3 int's for the Iggles. He's able to play a TRUE safety position and let his talent shine at the Eagles because they have competant defensive linemen and talent at LB. At the saints he roamed between safety, CB and LB watching runners blow past the d-line, then past the LB's into the secondary where he has to make the tackles. At the Eagles he can ball hawk!
I've ALWAYS said, draft LB early and often, as much as possible. Great LB's can not only be field general QB's on defense, some are great pass defenders as well as run stoppers. At this point, anything has to be an improvement, but LB may be a great starting point.
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You're defending players who were part of the worst defense in NFL history two years ago. What makes you think they are the difference now? I think it's team complacency, from coaching schemes to players getting too high on themselves. I don't miss Harper or Jenkins one bit. How are the Panthers and Eagles defenses looking these days? I'm sorry, but I'm not going to get caught up in the fact that a couple former players have made a few plays for other teams. They made a few of them for us too. But they were still bad the majority of the time.
I see guys missing tackles, which is an individual problem. And I see a very simple defensive game plan. We won't go anywhere if those things don't change fast. And offensively, it looks like guys are just feeling sorry for themselves. Colston and Graham botching play after play, bad line play and Brees, though he probably deserves the least blame given the crappy play around him, has still made some careless throws himself.
I do agree that we need better linebackers, but I don't see those two former players being gone as the reason why we suck. |
