Quote Originally Posted by Bretsky View Post
top 10 talent on defense ...wow.....I might try to argue we are average there. our dl's are ok at best but probably below average. our ilb's are junk....our olb's might be elite between Matthews and peppers. The safeties are improved...I think....but average would be a fair assessment. cb's are above average but not elite.

I would consider our talent on defense to be average and expect a 15-20 range defense if we keep our health.

if you think we have top 10 talent on defense you wlll hate dom again this year

Don't mistake this for supporting dom...I think he is average at best......but I don't think he's nearly as bad as you d
Yeah, I think we have top 10 talent on defense... despite the fact that we have putrid ILB's - which the braintrust at 1265 seem to love.

Matthews is elite, and while the other spot has been in flux, I think Neal proved he could play it quite well; now with Peppers, we have 2 guys that can excel at that position - it just depends on how they are used.

On the line, which TT has invested much in, we have 3 first round draft choices, that have shown flashes - flashes that indicate if they were used properly, they could excel. Losing Raji hurts... hurts a lot, but Jones and Daniels have both shown ability, and Perry could be a decent player - again, if he is used properly.

We have excellent corners, and Burnett is a keeper - despite wandering in the wilderness last year. The other Safety spot is an issue for sure.

Add the talent up, and yes... we could have a top 10 defense, if only we had a DC that could put it all together.

Concentration of forces... what good does it do to have a guy like D. Jones standing on the sideline in favor of 1 of 2 slugs (Hawk or Jones)?? Why does dunderdummy abandon the middle of the field to 2 fat guys, and 2 ILB slugs, when he could go to a 3-3 and force the offense to adjust to him??

One thing is for sure... if Capers runs the 2-4 down after down after down after down - we will get run over, and if he responds by going to some version of his "jumbo nickel", we will get aired out. Those 2 negative consequences of what Capers has been doing the last few years have, unfortunately, become the norm for this defense - when we could be so much better.