Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
DJ - I just disagree on how much value his backside run defense adds when he’s moving to DE. He’s just way too easy to neutralize and exploit in the run game.
They have a lot of options to improve the pass rush/front four.
They can use the draft capital gained to move up and grab one of Ferrell or Sweat or Gary if he slips a bit, and pair that with a cheap, short-term deal for a situational pass-rusher who can rotate in one passing downs (Shane Ray template). Then still grab secondary help in one of the next few picks.
They can use the combo of draft capital and freed up salary to go trade for a big upgrade at CB, then still add the cheap situational pass rusher and draft a DE at one of their existing picks.
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Even in an Under? His pursuit is perfect in that role. And with yeah, the LT can get inside him and you can do some runs in the B gap there, but that's exactly what the under-shade is designed to help with; trying to hit that B gap with Jones there to close and your MLB/WLB behind it is a lot tougher, especially when you're almost allowing for the WDE to be taken out of that play and simply occupy the OT.
In a straight 4-3 I think you're right, but if our base is going to heavily feature the under alignments, he's a great fit. And we know he can be equally effective against the pass there because that's essentially how he was used in the sub-packages anyway when we went to those 2-4-5 alignments.
I just think you're whistling past the graveyard a LOT when it comes to the risk and development curve of rookie defensive linemen. The odds overwhelmingly suggest that you won't get a player of Ford's caliber even if you use your 1st rounder on a DL and that even if you do, it's gonna take 2-3 years to get there.
We've taken a massive step down on our DL here and the draft capital gained will do very little to resolve that. When our best hope is praying that Speaks and K-Pass don't suck as badly as they've appeared to over their NFL careers, that's a hell of a hail mary...