WaterfallJumper
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2009
- Messages
- 8,439
- Reaction score
- 18,077
Super Bowls in 2014 and 2016 each had defining defensive moments. The Butler pick. The Hightower strip. This year, the defense desperately needed a player to step up, but no one could rise to the challenge (although, honestly, the same was true for the Eagles, other than a timely play by Brandon Graham, obviously).
For years, I've looked at tendencies and scheme fits, and I think that I have a pretty decent success rate. I'm not perfect, and I've had some embarrassing misses, but those are just rites of passage for draftniks. Overall, I've really bought into the Patriots type player scouting profiles, or at least my perceptions thereof.
I'm starting to wonder, however, if we just need to look for difference makers on defense, and figure out where they'll play and how they'll fit at a later time. Offenses are virtually unstoppable in the modern NFL. Look at the record-breaking combined yardage and point total in the Super Bowl. Look at the new wave of offensive principles that have taken the league by storm. Teams must place a premium on players who can force turnovers -- whether that's a strip sack, an interception, a forced fumble, a blocked kick/punt, etc, is irrelevant. The point is that a team must be able to threaten an opposing offense, not just look to contain them and slow them down in the red zone.
While disciplined, fundamentally-sound defense is always a good starting point, I'm beginning to believe that we can find average players to fill in the gaps in FA or UDFA. Let's swing for the fences in the draft. I'm on record that the draft is overrated in the grand scheme of team building (and I stand by that statement), but it's still the best way to bring in young talents who can develop into super stars without destroying your cap management.
So, the question becomes: who are the playmakers in this draft?
For years, I've looked at tendencies and scheme fits, and I think that I have a pretty decent success rate. I'm not perfect, and I've had some embarrassing misses, but those are just rites of passage for draftniks. Overall, I've really bought into the Patriots type player scouting profiles, or at least my perceptions thereof.
I'm starting to wonder, however, if we just need to look for difference makers on defense, and figure out where they'll play and how they'll fit at a later time. Offenses are virtually unstoppable in the modern NFL. Look at the record-breaking combined yardage and point total in the Super Bowl. Look at the new wave of offensive principles that have taken the league by storm. Teams must place a premium on players who can force turnovers -- whether that's a strip sack, an interception, a forced fumble, a blocked kick/punt, etc, is irrelevant. The point is that a team must be able to threaten an opposing offense, not just look to contain them and slow them down in the red zone.
While disciplined, fundamentally-sound defense is always a good starting point, I'm beginning to believe that we can find average players to fill in the gaps in FA or UDFA. Let's swing for the fences in the draft. I'm on record that the draft is overrated in the grand scheme of team building (and I stand by that statement), but it's still the best way to bring in young talents who can develop into super stars without destroying your cap management.
So, the question becomes: who are the playmakers in this draft?