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College Football and Draft Discussion 2024


candyman93

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11 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

Yeah, hence the IF in all caps, but I always feel the need to specify here, otherwise I open myself up to the specifics police. :)
 

I don’t even want to make a joke here or butts will ache... god I hate 2020

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I'll be honest, our complete lack of any concerted effort or attempt to draft a top tier on ball/non EDGE LB here is one of the reasons our defense is and has been so bad. Look at Pitt, Balt, and other viable contenders (New England) over the last 15+ years, and they get dudes high (in the first and early 2nd) who then become cornerstones of their defense, and they have a lot of production and are consistently elite defenses on a yearly basis. Meanwhile, we plug in dudes who are 4th rounders, once in a while who pan out, but are also guys like Beaux Bell and Ben Taylor types, then wonder why our defense is truly awful. It's infuriating. 

Yeah I know off ball linebackers have been devalued a bit, but that doesn’t make them irrelevant.  We’ve been in a bit of a tricky spot for most drafts though where our first is a bit too rich for a LB, but then we miss the top shelf guys by round 2.

I wouldn’t mind targeting a LB this year though, it’s overdue.

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Just now, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Yeah I know off ball linebackers have been devalued a bit, but that doesn’t make them irrelevant.  We’ve been in a bit of a tricky spot for most drafts though where our first is a bit too rich for a LB, but then we miss the top shelf guys by round 2.

Devalued is the right word, and yet if you look at Pittsburgh, they've taken 2 in the 1st round in the last 6-7 drafts (Shazier and that kid who is a stud from UM), Baltimore same thing, and then other teams who have elite off ball/non EDGE LB play have top tier defenses (Seattle, New England). You want to know how to answer elite TE play (You nonspecific)? LB who can match up with heavy personnel in the running game and cover the seams/TE in the passing game.

Having safeties that aren't awful are usually helpful as well. The good news is, we have BOTH awful safeties and awful LB, as well as AWFUL depth at those positions. We've at least tried to address the secondary, with Delpit, Greedy, and Ward, and a few free agents/trades to help with that, but the LB we haven't tried to address since 1995, and we are manhandled regularly within our own division by teams that do...that's not a coincidence.

Just now, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

I wouldn’t mind targeting a LB this year though, it’s overdue.

I'd love to have a 3 down MLB anchor and another guy you can put beside him as a sideline to sideline and athletic guy in coverage who is a capable blitzer. He doesn't have to be awesome against the run if you have your MIKE backer, but he can make plays within 3 yards of the LOS in the B/C gap. Maybe that guy's already on the roster (LOL), but those are non negotiable's if you're going to play an even or odd front...scheme doesn't even matter.

Throw in the fact that Vernon is essentially useless, that we don't have the athletes at LB to even blitz them OR cover a TE (See: All Game Yesterday), and that's a disaster waiting to happen.

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