1.) I'm not assuming that Woods is gone, although many seem to be.
2.) Burgess isn't a viable OLB, he's a pass rusher only
3.) Cunningham's done nothing, to date
4.) TBC isn't an every down OLB, he's mostly a pass rusher
5.) Murrell and Ninkovich suck
Now, hopefully #2-#5 all change between now and week 1. If they don't, it'll be a toss up as to whether the duo of Warren/Wright is as bad as any OLB combination against the run, and a good battle as to which has a better year on obvious passing downs.
Of course, Brace showing that what we've seen as improvement from him this exhibition season is real and lasting would significantly alter the equation.
DI,
I think you are starting to catch on to Belichick's efforts.
A GOOD HC is not worried about the play currently being run, he is thinking about the next few plays or next series. He must look ahead.
After Belichick re-signed TBC and traded for Derrick Burgess, he expected that the OLB pass rush would work itself out as they adjusted and settled in. It just always takes time. Burgess was mostly a hand down DE in 2009. Now he is doing 3-4 OLB standup plays as well.
He still had a premium FA in AD, and a premium pick to look at in Crable, and invested another high pick in Cunningham. Most of the ingredients were in the stew now, it needed to simmer and stew for a while. It always does. AD turned out full of resisting gristle; and Crabel didn't make it into the stew, at all.
Belichick believing he had or rather had taken the steps that would solve the OLB issue, turned his attention elsewhere. To the missing sacks from the DL, ILBs, and the in-box SS position.
The Chung/Meriwether ingredients were already aboard and stewing. Standby ingredients were purchased & available too.
Mayo needed some more support and he added a premium Spinks, with a blitz-sacker college reputation, to the returning MacKenzie. So that is now stewing nicely, too. It should also contribute to closing the run hole that was discovered.
Seymour is difficult to replace. He provided interior pressure, and also controlled the run by himself, at RDE, freeing a ROLB to blitz.
Belichick diagnosed that he needed the combination of good size, and athletic ability, to partially fill Seymour's shoes. You only get that in a premium pick. So he went out and signed not one, but two just past prime, former first rounders, and had high hopes for 2nd round rookie Brace to develop. He even drafted another 3-4 end, noted for his run defense, from his friend Saban's program. At least two of the three seem to be turning out, and I still have hopes for Lewis as a 3rd down interior pocket collapser, and pass rusher. If he can find the run stuffer RDE,
a la`Seymour, he can continue to play a primarily pass rush ROLB like TBC, Colvin, Phiffer all were.
Remember in the Belichcik pass defense, collapsing the pocket, for a more agile ILB/SS is as key, as finishing with a sack, from the slower big guys, who can miss, or be dodged by the fleet QBs.
Seymour's leaving opened a small run hole as well as the missing interior pass rush, but a run hole non the less. The run Defense went from around 95-100 yards per game, to yielding 110 yards per game. Ten yards more per game is not a great weakness, but a weakness it still is.
Has he adequately filled the run hole, and found the interior rusher to return the missing DL sacks? More importantly, has he found the interior rusher who will mis-position or use-up, the pass blockers to create a blitz hole for Spinks/Mayo/Chung to exploit?
Once again we won't know how it turns out for 8-10 games, but looking ahead, I know that a stew with the proper fine ingredients, and BB has used nothing but fine ingredients, will simmer and come out fine.
Please continue to Look ahead, rather than be a General who wants to fight the Last War, all over again. Wars don't work that way.
Regarding your five points. I agree with everyone.
Point 1, Woods is a Run Defense OLB and the relief for DB on the strong side.
Point2, DB is settling in and is playing both a standup OLB and down DE this preseason after being mostly a hands down DE in 2009.
Point 3, Cunningham hasn't had the opportunity to do much yet, and I wouldn't count on him until the second half of the season at the earliest. But neither I, who doesn't count, nor Belichick, who does, were counting on him a mere rookie, for more than that, in any case. Were you, really?
Point 4, I already showed why Belichick brought in former first rounders at RDE to make it all right for TBC to be exactly what he is. Belichick has revealed that he never tries to ask a player to do something he has shown he can't do. That is why he is considered to be a situational substitution coach. The same applies at LDE but Ty Warren was there to allow it. Now he must adjust again.
Point 5, Murrell can be the relief for TBC on the weak side. I am unimpressed with Ninkovitch.
