Ramifications
Guest
I realize there are some good ones, but lets say they got Mack or Mosley? Who sits in nickel situations? Not former safety Ogletree. Laurinaitis? They pay him $10 million a year and he is the QB of the defense. I get that Mack or Mosley would probably be more athletic, but this would make more sense if they are viewed as replacements for Laurinaitis (and he is only 27?), and I don't think he is going anywhere. Would that marginalize him, and lead them to want to restructure his contract? Mack is an awesome pass rusher (tied or beat Derrick Johnson's FF record as well as the NCAA TFL record?) and Mosely would be great in pass coverage. But if they sit on third, what would be the point?
I've asked this question elsewhere, and some have said they will just play all three LBs in nickel situations, but I'm highly sceptical of this and not sure it is realistic. How man 4-3 teams actually deploy ALL THREE LBs in nickel situations? None or close to? And if that is the case, maybe we should rethink the LB in the first idea... UNLESS we intend to phase out Laurinaitis.
Not sure the OLB opposite Ogletree is a dire need anyways. JoLonn Dunbar was himself a free agent, and his replacement could be also (if in fact he doesn't just re-sign, Fisher did cut him, but also re-signed him, and the defense played better since he returned). It is a position, like RB, that is increasingly fungible and viewed as commoditized around the league (except for the transcendent talents, like Luke Kuechly and Adrian Peterson, respectively).
I've asked this question elsewhere, and some have said they will just play all three LBs in nickel situations, but I'm highly sceptical of this and not sure it is realistic. How man 4-3 teams actually deploy ALL THREE LBs in nickel situations? None or close to? And if that is the case, maybe we should rethink the LB in the first idea... UNLESS we intend to phase out Laurinaitis.
Not sure the OLB opposite Ogletree is a dire need anyways. JoLonn Dunbar was himself a free agent, and his replacement could be also (if in fact he doesn't just re-sign, Fisher did cut him, but also re-signed him, and the defense played better since he returned). It is a position, like RB, that is increasingly fungible and viewed as commoditized around the league (except for the transcendent talents, like Luke Kuechly and Adrian Peterson, respectively).
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