Pete Prisco's Team Grades for 2017 Draft

[gbgary]

This idea that Thompson has somehow "evolved" and risen from the depths of yesterday's game are a gross oversimplification and a misunderstanding of what's happened this year.

exactly. he had to involved in free agency because of the high number of people he let go. he's the same ted. watching the $. i thought he did a good job in the draft addressing needs even though he passed over watt and foster. the cb position was just too needy to ignore.

[vince]

exactly. he had to involved in free agency because of the high number of people he let go. he's the same ted. watching the $. i thought he did a good job in the draft addressing needs even though he passed over watt and foster. the cb position was just too needy to ignore.

Yeah I hoped he'd really break from character, do the easy fan-friendly thing and cut a huge check to one of the #1 corner FA's. That would have guaranteed nothing but obviously didn't happen regardless.

We'll see how Ted's way fits with 31's "whole infinite collection of variances that are set in motion" this year. Given the addition of King and House, along with the return to health - and appropriate placement down the pecking order - of Randall, Rollins and Gunter, I think the corners are likely to be improved.

One of those 31esque butterfly-effect variances that concerns me is what happens if/when Perry and/or Matthews miss time with injury... Someone who hasn't really shown up yet is gonna need to be there.

Injuries in key spots last year set variances in motion that decimated the pass defense and proved to be their undoing in the NFC Championship. Bottom line is, given their early up-tempo offensive approach and play-from-ahead game strategy, they probably don't need a top 10 pass defense - but I'd say they do need to be top 20. Top 31 got them schooled pretty hard by the league's premiere offense 2 wins short of the goal.