Flawed Defensive Philosophy

[LA_Panther]

We invested heavily on a D-line financially as well as with draft picks and stuff. We swept our secondary issues under the rug 

hoping a beast D-line putting pressure and stud linebackers making plays in the running game will be the ingredients for a great D.

 

Then the Hardy situation happened. Not sure what's going on with CJ and the tackles too, but our front 7 is not getting it done and our sorry secondary is getting lit up

 

The defensive disaster so far this year is a result of the putting-your-eggs-in-one basket philosophy and not addressing all positions of need. Hope we learn from what is happening this year. Hope we start addressing all positions. Instead of a juggling act where we hope that one area of need masks deficiencies in another. We are trying out Presley (WR) as a DB for God's sake. That should not happen

[t96]

I wouldn't go that far. If Hardy were playing and CJ wasn't injured you'd be seeing a whole different defense. Injuries/exempt players at a position of strength don't make the philosophy flawed. Was it flawed last year too? We had horrible talent in the secondary and were still the #2 defense.

[SpeedOFLight]

Yeah our d line masked a lot of secondary issues last year. This year we don't have a pass rush really and it is exposing our dbs. Bring back pass rush then you will see better play out of the secondary

[caatfan]

 

Hope we start addressing all positions. Instead of a juggling act where we hope that one area of need masks deficiencies in another. 

If you want to get good players you've gotta pay 'em. If you spread out the money you've got to address all positions, you get across the board mediocrity. 

[LA_Panther]

I wouldn't go that far. If Hardy were playing and CJ wasn't injured you'd be seeing a whole different defense. Injuries/exempt players at a position of strength don't make the philosophy flawed. Was it flawed last year too? We had horrible talent in the secondary and were still the #2 defense.

 

I am saying, this philosophy worked last year because our front 7 was playing lights out. We still got burned last year when we were not pressuring. My point is we have to address all positions of need. No one foresaw the Hardy drama or the inujries. What about Star? What about the run D? what happened?

[t96]

I am saying, this philosophy worked last year because our front 7 was playing lights out. We still got burned last year when we were not pressuring. My point is we have to address all positions of need. No one foresaw the Hardy drama or the inujries. What about Star? What about the run D? what happened?

 

They all benefit from each other and work together as a unit. If CJ was 100% and Hardy were playing the philosophy would be working. Spending Hardy's $13M on secondary help wouldn't be able to get enough to outweigh how important he is to the defense. Yes, a complete defense is important but we just don't have the cap space to maneuver. We chose Hardy, rightfully so if it weren't for the media's bullshit putting him on the exempt list, and that was the right choice. We will improve the secondary through the draft and once we get cap room. And taking picks of value are more important than reaching for a need. Ealy in the 2nd was amazing value and he could pan out and be a beast, on a rookie contract for a few years. No DBs were worth picking then, and we got a steal in Bene later on who's a quality starting nickel. Can't say the philosophy is flawed, when it's actually been proven to work.

[firstdayfan]

It's bc in the NFL you can game plan for anything after a while. Exploiting weaknesses is what this league is all about

[Millioso7]

colin cole should not be starting specially with horton on that side o the line

[tondi]

Its been proven time and time again that games are won in the trenches. If you control them you usually win. The fact we arent doing that on either side of the ball is why we keep getting our ass kicked. I don't think a philosophy of spending to have a dominating front seven is a bad one, its just that due to a number of factors we aren't getting what we paid for.

[usmcpanthers]

Frank Alexander being suspended for 10, when we only expected 4 didnt help either. We had Hardy week 1 and was supposed to have Frank week 5. Its hard to replace to good DE's so quickly, especially when we didnt plan for either to be gone.

[top dawg]

caatfan, on 22 Oct 2014 - 3:06 PM, said:caatfan, on 22 Oct 2014 - 3:06 PM, said:

If you want to get good players you've gotta pay 'em. If you spread out the money you've got to address all positions, you get across the board mediocrity. 

 

Or, you can continue to scout good, cheaper talent across the board, bring them in and pepper them with some hardhitters at key positions that fit within your philosophy and try and exploit that window of opportunity while you can.   The Seahawks did it. The Pats, Steelers and Giants have arguably mastered that balancing act for a while now.

[Who Said What?]

No money means no money.  We have to get rid of dead weight, gamble on cheap players, and get the cap right.  Right now we are the band of misfit toys.  The Seahawks and teams like that didn't shoot themselves in the foot with asinine contracts.

[Wall2Wall]

Any ideas when/if Hardy will ever be able to return to the team?

[R0CKnR0LLA]

Any ideas when/if Hardy will ever be able to return to the team?

 

after his trial which should be sometime around mid-2016