A strong point, indeed.
I have a lot of love for Jabaal Sheard and Brooks Reed...But those guys are simply way too expensive for my tastes.
Most won't agree with me, I guess, but it seems to me that the ROI on D Line Grizzlies tends to offer FAR more than that of the Flankers available in this Draft.
There are so many teams converting to the 3.4 ~ and such a lag between the Pros doing so and the college teams doing so ~ that, as Dry points out, the Market Value of any Flankers with a modicum of skill gets dangerously BLOATED.
No way in HELL do I want to spend #28 or #33 on Reed or Sheard. GOD, no.
***
There's nothing wrong with our O Line ~ or our O ~ that a Tenacious D won't obviate.
***
And there's nothing wrong with our D that raising our Front 7 to its formerly extraordinary level won't fix.
***
Any Patriot fan who witnessed our 2004 Super Bowl Campaign ~ where we won the SUPER BOWL with Rodney Harrison and a whole bunch of ROOKIES manning the Secondary, because our Front 7 was extraordinary ~ need not doubt that.
If we're going to spend Draft Capital on Flanker ~ and I ADAMANTLY believe we SHOULD ~ I think we NEED to after Aldon Smith.
Otherwise: just wait for Late Round Value.
Most importantly: do NOT let another year go by without bringing our Front Line back up to its formerly amazing level.
As the D Line goes, so goes the rest of the Defense.
The Ripple Effect IS disproportionate...and it always HAS been.