(10-13-2021, 12:32 PM)flgatorsandjags Wrote:

(10-13-2021, 11:51 AM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: The more I think about it, the more I wanna draft a couple of new LB's. The Dallas Cowboys had one of the worst defenses imaginable last season. CB Trevon Diggs returns and is playing like an All-Pro, but the Cowboys also selected LB Micah Parsons, who has been an absolute beast. Now that defense is respectable. We all know we need a pass rushing OLB for the 3-4 scheme we now run, but ILB is just as important. They are the unheralded backbone of the defense. Just look at great defenses of the past. The Ravens had Ray Lewis, last year's Bucs had LaVonte David and Devin White, the Niners had Patrick Willis, the Bears had Brian Urlacher and Mike Singletary and Dick Butkus. Even successful defenses of the past who didn't have star LB's on the inside, at least had good players who could consistently stop the run and cover passes. Right now, we're getting terrible play from our linebackers both outside and inside. If we could come out of the offseason with one consistent pass rushing OLB and one really good all around ILB, I think we'd see a huge improvement on defense. Maybe not enough to make us a Super Bowl contender, but enough of an improvement where we would at least be competitive. I think these are two areas that absolutely have to be addressed.

Take the BPA, I don't care what position it is we just need some stars

Of course you draft BAP, but with as many draft picks as we have, there is no way the linebacker positions should be ignored. We have to identify some good pass rushing linebackers and coverage linebackers in this draft and target them. Whether it be round 1, 2, 3 or 4 it doesn't matter. You take the best player on the board, but if you have 2 different players at 2 different positions, who are rated the same on your board and one of them is a LB, I'm taking the LB. 

Last offseason we needed a better pass rush and better pass defense. We tried to fill the pass defense with so-so players and the results are largely the same as last year. We basically ignored the need for pass rushers and again, we have no pass rush. You always take the BAP, but at the same time, when you have huge needs at certain positions and you fail to fill them over and over, you can't expect your team to ever get better. One way or another by draft, trade or free agency, you're gonna have to address the gaping holes at positions that are plaguing the team.

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