Have to disagree with Holley. Good, but not the best. The 2003 LB corp had six quality veterans at LB: McGinest, Vrabel and Colvin rotating on the outside, and Bruschi, TJ and Phifer on the inside. You could pick any comination of 4 players, and I was always 100% confident that they would execute the game plan.
The equivalent depth this year is Vrabel, Colvin and Banta Cain outside, and Bruschi, Seau and... Alexander?/Izzo? inside. Banta Cain still needs to prove to me that he can play pass coverage before I'm willing to stack him up against Phifer, who in his time could do it all. And just in terms of depth, this version just doesn't match up.
I've been really impressed by Seau. I'd be willing to agree he is playing better than TJ in 2003-4, and that after only a few months in the system. Just hugely impressed with the guy. I always feel like he's in the right place -- that he undestands what's going on around him. Chad Brown was a veteran FA, too, but never took the same step.
Our depth on the inside is really a question of moving Vrabel from the outside, and using TBC and Woods in his place. The problem isn't that Vrabel plays badly inside, but he's such a good player outside, we're not using his special talent to get to the QB and knock the ball loose.
When people criticize our 2006 LB corp, it's hasn't been a question of talent-- it's more a matter of age. It would be good having a few more rookies learning how to train, study and play the game from guys like Seau, McGinest, Vrabel, Bruschi.
