Yeah that'd be great. That's the thing with D-lines, when you can spread the pressure around they really become effective. Derrick Thomas firin in from the linebacker positions was deadly when teams doubled up on Neil Smith.

We'll never know what could've been if teams doubled up on Dorsey and left JA singled, or visa-versa.....

A suitable replacement for JA is dire need IMO.

I think we're okay at DT. Boone will play there sometimes, but Dorsey, Edwards and Tank are a decent DT tandem. Throw in Boone and we're alright for a couple more years until either Boone or Edwards breaks down.

It's the edges where we're in trouble. Hali isn't a #1 guy, and we desperately need a #1 guy. We may not even have a #3 guy, and Johnston has a season to show if he's that guy.

Turk can fit in there somewhere, I imagine. But who knows.

I'll still take Dorsey and Albert over Dorsey and Allen.

Hell just a warm body that can get to the QB every now and again will suffice.
JA's a hard act to follow, but if we can make opposing teams believe that someone other than Hali can "get there" we'll be so much more effective Defensively.

If King Carl doesn't wait till the last minute (or too late) to start rebuilding the O-line, we don't have to make that decision at all.

That's my point. We're in trouble opposite of Hali.
No one seems all that interested in locking that job down thus far.

I'll bite, who was the 'Roaf' hanging around waiting to be snatched up when Roaf retired out of the blue?
Who's the 'Roaf' who's been available since then?

I suppose I would too.
We can't undersell the importance of a serviceable DE on the other side of Hali though.

I don't know, a take-no-prisoners pro bowler along the defensive front four can be a game changer. Effects the running game as well as passing game, if you only have "average" guys along the D-line, you gotta have stellar LB's to make up for it. As a crew our linebackers are not stellar.

If I could choose I'd absolutely take having a "game changing" DE over our current situation. But with Allen gone we have to try to move on and succeed without him. DE's on the short list of our needs when the off-season rolls around. For right now though. A serviceable DE helps everybody out.

He was invisible because Croyle didn't throw him the ball. That doesn't mean Darling played badly or that he wasn't open. Tony Gonzalez didn't have a catch either. Bowe only had one.

Darling will have his shot to prove that he should be the other starter at WR.

That's why I said King Carl shouldn't "wait till the last minute" you gotta see these guys aging and know retirements / injuries are comin and start making moves for depth 2 - 3 seasons before they're gone. That might mean developing rookies or signing young 2nd string free agents that you can develop while Roaf was still playing. That way when you lose the guys, the replacements are there.

It's called foresight, that prevents you from trying to find a "Roaf" when "Roaf" retires. Start developing 2-3 seasons prior to the retirements, and don't piss off and send away your younger guns like John Tait.

The real problem was our failures at identifying Defensive Line talent.
That's what cost this O-Line. We invested far too many picks in the D-Line and gave only low-round commitments to Offensive Line prospects.

Anybody else see the block ol' Tony G threw on the LJ touchdown run ?