OLB struggles were way down on the list of causes for NE's atrocious 3rd down defense last year. ILB coverage issues was by far the primary reason. The number of plays where TBC or Warren were bearing down on a QB only to see him calmly toss to a receiver completely uncovered right in front of him vastly outnumbered those where the coverage was solid but the QB had all day to wait for someone to come open.
Second on the list is NB coverage. When Butler struggled and then Wilhite got hurt, NE had to turn to an injured Chung to cover guys in the slot. I can see the reasoning for it, tons of depth in the safeties not much in the CBs, but it still wasn't ideal. Indy's march up and down the field at the end was largely on the back of Blair White, who was matched up against Pat. Selecting Dowling was very much a "need" pick and, hopefully with Bodden's return this issue is addressed.
Third on the list was the #2 outside CB. I am firmly in Arrington's corner and was one of the few in the preseason saying he was a lock to make the roster and that I actually thought he was a decent cover guy. But I meant "decent" as in nickle or dime, not starting outside. Again, reinforcements were sorely needed.
Finally we get to OLB. I wholeheartedly agree that NE needs a superior player added to this position. I also agree that NE should have been looking to address this issue a whole lot sooner - I wanted Woodley over Meriweather in 2007, for example. I just disagree where they come from. BB has shown more than enough willingness to take on a hefty contract if the right player becomes available. But your mention of Peppers is wildly off base. He is an older player who has zero experience at the position. On top of that, he was paid a ridiculous amount of money meaning you'd have to say goodbye to someone like Wilfork to add Peppers. It's a zero sum game, after all.
Lastly, fans overrate the impact OLBs have on the pass rush in general. NE's pass rush isn't based on OLBs killing their man every play, it is based on a multi-faceted attack that caused confusion and breakdown in protection. Every time I write that, someone starts talking about "ILB blitzing" which isn't precisely what I am saying. I'm saying that back in the day any of the 4-5 LBs on the field were just as much of a threat to rush or drop into coverage. Because of this, you'd see guys coming free regularly. What happened in 2005 when the ILB group was gutted? All of a sudden, those OLB studs looked decidely human.
Now, I'm not saying that Willie, Vrabel and Colvin weren't better players than the 2010 group. I'm just saying that a pass rush is a total team effort, and that none of those guys were the studs they became in their first year starting, as both Nink and Jermaine were last year.
I personally love the overall LB group that NE has right now, lots of complimentary talent and guys who fill necessary roles. In time they are going to be a very good, and possibly great unit. NE waited too long to start reconstructing the group, but now they're back on track, we just need to be patient and let the kids develop.
(and hope Carter becomes a hall-of-famer, of course.
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