Fencer
Pro Bowl Player
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- Oct 2, 2006
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I.e., the Defensive Front 7, even when there are fewer than 7 of them. 
The basic Defensive Front 7 is
3 DL -- Seymour, Warren, Wilfork
2 OLBs standing up -- Thomas, Vrabel
(all Pro Bowl caliber guys so far)
plus 2 ILBs -- Bruschi, Mayo -- obviously, this is the area of question marks
In the basic nickel package:
1 DL goes out (Wilfork)
The DEs become 4-3 DTs
Green substitutes for one of the DEs (Warren)
The OLBs probably put their hands down as DEs
The 2 ILBs have to be speedy
So how do we get speed at ILB? Well, Thomas can play there, while one of the backup OLBs takes his spot outside. And one of the safeties can play at ILB. Or perhaps Mayo can take one of those roles.
Who exactly plays no doubt depends in part on whether this is a true sub package, or whether a large fraction of that particular game is going to be spent in nickel/dime sets.
I don't see any way to get around the problem that no matter how many great DL we have, 2 or fewer of them will be on the field much of the time. On the other hand, since DL guys seem to be particularly needful of breathers, I'm not sure that's a problem anyway.
So, and please correct me if I'm wrong here, is it not the case that on a high fraction of all downs, there will be 2 ILBs of some kind or other? Maybe they will be true ILBs. Maybe they will be OLBs, with JAGs taking over their OLB duties. Maybe they will be safeties (Rodney, presumably, absent Tank Williams and John Lynch). But somehow, we'll have two past-their-prime stars (Bruschi, Rodney), not-yet-stars (Mayo), or never-will-be-stars (Woods) up front for most defensive downs -- plus, of course, the 4+ DBs we'll have in those categories as well.
I'm not complaining; 4-5 Pro Bowl caliber players is a lot to be able to field on one side of the ball. But we're a little bit shy of where we were when Seymour, Washington, McGinest, Bruschi, Vrabel, Rodney, and Ty Law were all simultaneously either in their primes or else returned from a recent road trip to the Fountain of Youth.
(On the other hand, when the defense did have that talent, the offensive talent was far behind where it is today.)
The basic Defensive Front 7 is
3 DL -- Seymour, Warren, Wilfork
2 OLBs standing up -- Thomas, Vrabel
(all Pro Bowl caliber guys so far)
plus 2 ILBs -- Bruschi, Mayo -- obviously, this is the area of question marks
In the basic nickel package:
1 DL goes out (Wilfork)
The DEs become 4-3 DTs
Green substitutes for one of the DEs (Warren)
The OLBs probably put their hands down as DEs
The 2 ILBs have to be speedy
So how do we get speed at ILB? Well, Thomas can play there, while one of the backup OLBs takes his spot outside. And one of the safeties can play at ILB. Or perhaps Mayo can take one of those roles.
Who exactly plays no doubt depends in part on whether this is a true sub package, or whether a large fraction of that particular game is going to be spent in nickel/dime sets.
I don't see any way to get around the problem that no matter how many great DL we have, 2 or fewer of them will be on the field much of the time. On the other hand, since DL guys seem to be particularly needful of breathers, I'm not sure that's a problem anyway.
So, and please correct me if I'm wrong here, is it not the case that on a high fraction of all downs, there will be 2 ILBs of some kind or other? Maybe they will be true ILBs. Maybe they will be OLBs, with JAGs taking over their OLB duties. Maybe they will be safeties (Rodney, presumably, absent Tank Williams and John Lynch). But somehow, we'll have two past-their-prime stars (Bruschi, Rodney), not-yet-stars (Mayo), or never-will-be-stars (Woods) up front for most defensive downs -- plus, of course, the 4+ DBs we'll have in those categories as well.
I'm not complaining; 4-5 Pro Bowl caliber players is a lot to be able to field on one side of the ball. But we're a little bit shy of where we were when Seymour, Washington, McGinest, Bruschi, Vrabel, Rodney, and Ty Law were all simultaneously either in their primes or else returned from a recent road trip to the Fountain of Youth.
(On the other hand, when the defense did have that talent, the offensive talent was far behind where it is today.)
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