(01-15-2025, 10:34 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: I'm curious what fans want the defensive identity to be?

Personally - as sexy as it is to have a bunch of ball-hawking cover guys in the secondary that disguise coverage and bait QBs into throws - I kind of still lean towards a smash mouth DL that consistently makes QBs uncomfortable by collapsing pockets and sealing off/pressuring the edges.Give me a DC that actually implements the blitzes and stunts Nielsen promised but never delivered. 

(back in August I thought Walker-Armstead-Hamilton-JHA was going to be able to do what I'm talking about here. 
Armstead didn't get enough reps there, Hamilton never returned to pre injury/illness form, and the DC neutered the whole line with mind numbing substitutions. 

Having both a sexy secondary and powerhouse line would be amazing of course, but we all know the likelihood of that happening in one offseason here. 

We are one piece away potentially of being a powerhouse front on the DL if we draft or acquire an impact pocket disruptor IMO.  It hinges a bit on Maason Smith developing and Armstead doing what we sort of expected last year when he finally gets significant snaps at DT, but it feels doable. 
And yes some depth at DE is also a need, even if it isn't as integral to the success of that line. They need that spell guy and he needs to have a decent pressure rate and run stop ability. 

The next challenge for the new DC to me (after hopefully  getting that line completed with talent) is to figure out how to use our linebacking corps to play smarter in both phases - run and pass. 
Miller may be in a place this offseason to take the next step, Lloyd needs to have a defined role and get coached up on how to play it with more discipline (gap integrity and fewer coverage confusions) and hopefully we can get  back to another year of Oluokun being the boss in the middle that limits runs as well as any backer in the league and makes a few plays in coverage. 

At that point - so much pressure will be taken from the secondary that they could play quite well by just executing fundamentals and incorporating just a moderate amount of creativity with safety assignments and disguises. I don't want a ton of soft zone and giving up the underneath stuff to limit big plays constantly, but I don't think forcing man coverage too often is the answer either. Install the requisite packages for both and be adept at when to call them from week to week and play to play situationally. 
Still need a CB opposite Campbell and improved safeties from a roster standpoint, but we've got some money and we've got extra picks. 

TL;DR
I want a smash mouth defensive front with smarter LB play dialed up, and then the secondary doesn't have to be elite in year one of this regime reset.

I answered this yesterday. I think it would serve the team better overall by reverting back to a more traditional 4 - 3 look. With Walker playing a true 4-3 LE and Hines-Allen back to a true 4-3 RE role. Giving us Armstead and Smith featured predominately inside, or, Hamilton and Smith based on FSG's comments on Armstead's age and viability as a pass rusher.

I think we should move Lloyd to a traditional weakside look, giving him opportunities or stabs at running as a potential free blitzer in obvious situations and we should keep Miller inside as the mike backer since he's more of a run defender and thumper. This then allows us to move Oluokon to run and gun from the strongside while being stacked in coverage situations if needed against a TE.

Secondary wise. We need new safeties in my opinion. Both positions need to be upgraded. I cited the Vikings losing Bynum in March possibly. Would offer him a decent contract to bring him over. Would then start eyeing another safety to play opposite of him in the draft. Potentially addressing it in RD2 - RD4 with prospects like Xavier Watts, Lathan Ransom, Kevin Winston Jr. or Hunter Wohler.

The CB position is interesting. Campbell has lingering injury concerns. Even at five, you're looking at Will Johnson potentially with soft tissue injuries. This then leaves Jarrian Jones at nickel and maybe Prince in the mix somewhere. Darby was a bust. Brown was beginning to get beat later on in the season. We clearly need help at CB.

A good rotational EDGE presence would help the secondary as well. So, we'll see. Beefing up the backend at safety would help tremendously though. Putting our aces in their places so they can thrive would also help upfront.

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