The trades were not so earth shaking, but the way the defense is shaping up on paper isn't as scary as it could be. Recall that BB declined to name a DC last winter and announced he would be spending more time working with the defense, the turnover and youth movement would argue he was projecting the kind of roster changes we've just seen back at the beginning of this process. Add hiring Corwin Brown to coach Safeties to the mix, and the image of this season takes another step towards clarity.
Bill "is" rebuilding his defense, that it's starting closer to the ground up is more a function of Ty Warren's health than any plan Bill had in mind. We didn't get to see where this was all going until yesterday, but then neither did the NFL - my feelings aren't hurt.
The secondary is faster, and more physical.
The ILB pool is more physical and as fast as last year.
The OLB pool looks green on paper, yet Murrell has two Training Camps in the NE defensive system and over a season practicing it, and Ninkovich is as least as good as Woods overall and faster off the edge. Cunningham is the highest drafted OLB project of the BB era, and he comes just as Bill decided he wants more hands-on time on defense.
The D-line has a surprising pool of young talent:
- Pryor surprised a lot of people last Season.
- Brace surprised a lot of people this Summer, a good surprise, and he claims Coach Vince the Nimble was the inspiration for his "on" switch.
- Deadrick has the talent, it's developing it which has held him back before now, if he reacts the same way as Brace, he's a seventh round steal and a pleasant surprise - if not, what's a seventh round bust anyway?
- Love surprised with his progress at NT, with his survival Saturday I "won't" be surprised if he allows Vince to play DE more often. (If Brace and Love continue to improve the way they have, wouldn't a 30 front of L-R Brace, Love, Wilfork make the run game more intense!).
:horn: Welcome to the roller coaster ride of 2010, he's Coach Belichick, he'll be in charge of the safety brakes for this ride - you really don't want to ride without a seatbelt.
:woohoo: