Defense Now, and (Hopefully) Defense of the Future

Our D-Line is going to be great next year. Our linebackers are going to be great, Our defensive backs are where the questions lie. We need a monster safety. Is Bob Sanders coming back? Bethea isn’t our stronf safety. You need to absolutely bring the pain at that position. We have the corners we need—and have developed extra ones when Powers and Hayden went down. I like our corners. What we need is for Sanders to come back, or to replace him. There has to be someone on your defense who running backs fear. Our linebackers might be good enough to bring the fear next year. Sessions, Conners—those guys can hit. But Bob Sanders has that special thing that blows people up. He’s 50# lighter than Greg Jones but when they met on a Jones goal line burst, Bob knocked Greg Jones base over apex. We need Bob back, or a replacement.

Our defense used to have this swagger. It was during the Super Bowl year that I last remember it, with the weird little hand motions the DB’s would do. Bob Sanders brought that swagger. We haven’t found anybody else who can replace that yet.

Line:

RDE: Freeney
ODT: Mookie or draft pick Paea (1st) or Fua (3rd)
UDT: Moala
LDE: Mathis

Freeney and Mathis still have a few more years of premium play left in them so they will continue to hold down the ends with Hughes getting some work in as a backup. Moala has emerged this year as a penetrating 3-tech undertackle and who has a every chance to develop into a real force in the middle. Muir next to him needs to be replaced by either a healthy Johnson or a high draft pick to play 1-tech overtackle. As the rest of the line is getting penetration we absolutely need an anchor inside to play between the G/C gap and stop the run. Foster and Mathews should see some time in rotation at DT as well.

Linebackers:

WLB: Session
MLB: Brackett
SLB: Angerer

With Conner able to fill in at WLB if Sessoin leaves or SLB if Angerer needs to replace an injured Brackett in the middle the linebacking core looks good and deep. Though all of these guys are undersized they play fast and hit hard – and play with that mean streak you say they don’t have. Hagler would also add fantastic depth if brought back.

Defensive Backs

FS: Bethea
SS: Bullett, Silva or draft pick
CB: Powers
CB: Tryon
NCB: Lacey
DCB: Thomas

Bethea is the real rock in the secondary and is our most important defensive back. Hopefully Bullett comes back healthy next year but if not we need to have more depth behind him from the draft or a healthy Silva – or a long shot in a healthy Sanders. Or depth looks good with Powers, Tryon, Lacy and Thomas around next year and even better if Hayden is back and pushes everyone down a spot.

Going through all that it seems like this defense – if healthy – is going to be very fast and fits our scheme very well. There are really only two places that need addressed other than staying healthy. The first is an anchoring overtackle who can take on an interior double team and shed blockers in order to make tackles on backs who are funneled his way due to the penetration. These types are hard to find and develop as most ballyhooed college tackles are penetrating 3-techs or are 0-tech 3-4 nosetackles. A couple of players who fit this mold would be Stephen Paea or Sione Fua. The second would be a enforcer type strong safety who can fill a similar role as Sanders did in the past. If Bullett is back this safety may not be needed to play right away but needs to be able to be ready in case he goes down again.

When he is on the field, everything changes, and not just from a schematic standpoint. You see that ‘swagger’ when Sanders plays, he gets his teammates riled up like Lewis does for the Ravens.

It just blows that he can’t stay on the field and his career here or career period could be done. It wouldn’t hurt to go out and find a similar player, someone that can add a spark to the defense. Sanders truly made everyone around him better, and not because he’s the “Eraser”, but because he brings an attitude to the field that everyone else buys into.