Again, the conversation is not about Ty Law. He was used as a point of reference. You do know what a point of reference is, don't you? But since you seem so stuck on it, Asante Samuel was drafted to take over Law's duties and, as they probably hoped, replace him. Samuel actually did that and it was a success. I'm not saying this is easy to do, but the coaching staff did it before. And whether or not it was in the first round does not matter. BB/Pioli have shown through the years that they are money after the third round.
You should have talked to the Dolphins drafters last year and asked them the odds that they could replace Taylor. Look, you're not going to fully replace a healthy Richard Seymour. The guy is a beast. So was Jason Taylor. Our division-mates did replace Taylor however, although the production was not completely matched, through Philip Merling. And guess what? Merling was not drafted in the first round. It's entirely possible that Seymour could be replaced through the draft (especially this one with the loads of underclassman talent that is coming out) and it's also possible we could find someone in free agency, if we had to, who would be willing to take less cash than Seymour would demand. Again, would his production be matched or bested? Who's to say? But I'd be willing to take that shot if he asked for too much. Besides I would rather have Big Vince anchoring that line in the middle than have an overpriced Seymour on the outside. Seymour was only able to do so much this year and in years past since 2005 because of Wilfork's presence in the middle. He is the MUST RESIGN guy. I love Seymour, but not for millions more than the front office is willing to pay.