Quote:
Originally Posted by jspchief
Agree with the first half of your comment but I'm not confident about the second half.
This defense has less talent than it has had in years, and we all know coaching isn't going to have an impact. I expect the defense to be pretty bad.
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Where did the defense take a step back?
DL lost Bennie Logan and Rakeem Roches, but added Xavier Williams and drafted Breeland Speaks (should play DE and OLB) and Derrick Nhadi. I think that’s an obvious upgrade to the DL.
ILB lost DJ, Ramik Wilson and Kevin Pierre Lewis...but added one of the better young ILBs in the game in Anthony Hitchens. I was vocal about hoping we could bring him here and am excited to see him in red. He’s a tone setting 3 down backer. We also drafted DOD and re-signed Terrance Smith. Just going from the ghost of DJ to a young Hitchens is a big upgrade. I think it’s obvious the ILBs are upgraded.
OLB losses the ghost of Tamba Hali and adds Breeland Speaks, a fully healthy Houston, the second year of Passagnon, a healthy Ford (hopefully) and this position group is easily upgraded from last year.
Safety gets all pro Eric Berry back and has great competition at the other safety spot. Golden was an underrated signing and if Watts can learn to tackle, Murray might not even make the team. We might cut/trade Sorensen because this group has good depth and Sorensen is a bit overpaid. Just getting Berry back upgraded the position group.
CB is the spot I can see we possibly downgraded. I’m a big MP fan and think the defense is going to really miss him and I hate the Amerson signing...but in reality if you count Fuller and Peters as a wash, the group is either the same or upgraded.
Lost
Peters
Gaines (addition by subtraction)
Acker
Mitchell (underrated loss)
Baxter
Added/still have
Kendall Fuller
Stephen Nelson
David Amerson
Tremon Smith
Keith Reasor
Will Redmond
The interesting part about this position group is I think Veach has a good eye for talent and he passes on a ton of good talent at CB in the draft and mentioned Reasor and Redmond as reasons why in an interview. I like the gamble and vote of confidence in those two.
If he’s right, the CBs are upgraded, if not, Amerson will get toasted early and often and his replacements won’t fair any better and that spot will kill the defense.