Bill B Presents TMC's Pick the Position Poll

Thank you.

My whole thing here is that Gregg Williams' system is still pure genius. It has worked for so many years, and still will. Perhaps he got cocky and let the wrong players get away (Ryan Clark), and injuries hurt him in his secondary. But the system will still work if he can get another good safety who communicate well with Taylor, if he can get a run stopping force in the middle of the defensive line, and if he can get the CB play he needs.

Maybe that CB play comes from Springs next year, or maybe we sign/draft somebody, I dunno. But with those three things, GW will have us back on top. We don't need ends and we don't need LBs; at first glance the stats tell you that the ends and LBs are having down years. But that's more due to the weakness at other positions spilling over and affecting their play. It's still a team sport, even the great Marcus Washington is going to have a down year when he doesn't have DTs keeping linemen and fullbacks away from him.

This season has to be a bit of a wake up call for GW, and that's probably not a bad thing. I think he definitely was getting full of himself. He had taken a squad of mostly castoffs and unknowns and turned them into one of the league's best defenses. Now it's time for him to re-evaluate things and now that his ego has been taken down a notch hopefully he can get back to what helped him build great defenses in the past.

I was torn between S and CB. Really, anything to help lock down our secondary would be great. Schneed's great posts really clarify why our secondary needs to be solid - we need the CB blitz packages. Maybe that means CB is more important. Anyway, that's what I voted for.

Thank you.

My whole thing here is that Gregg Williams' system is still pure genius. It has worked for so many years, and still will. Perhaps he got cocky and let the wrong players get away (Ryan Clark), and injuries hurt him in his secondary. But the system will still work if he can get another good safety who communicate well with Taylor, if he can get a run stopping force in the middle of the defensive line, and if he can get the CB play he needs.

Maybe that CB play comes from Springs next year, or maybe we sign/draft somebody, I dunno. But with those three things, GW will have us back on top. We don't need ends and we don't need LBs; at first glance the stats tell you that the ends and LBs are having down years. But that's more due to the weakness at other positions spilling over and affecting their play. It's still a team sport, even the great Marcus Washington is going to have a down year when he doesn't have DTs keeping linemen and fullbacks away from him.

You don't think that drafting a MLB in the top ten will help us???? Marshal is not getting the tackles that he needs to. We need a big fast linebacker that can shed blocks and fill those gaps that the DT's create. You stop the run with your LB's filling the holes. Our run D is miserable, but other teams are not always picking up on that. The tampa game was a great illustration of our struggles.

You don't think that drafting a MLB in the top ten will help us???? Marshal is not getting the tackles that he needs to. We need a big fast linebacker that can shed blocks and fill those gaps that the DT's create. You stop the run with your LB's filling the holes. Our run D is miserable, but other teams are not always picking up on that. The tampa game was a great illustration of our struggles.

There are no MLBs in the top 10 in this year's draft.

We have more pressing needs than MLB.

Thank you.

My whole thing here is that Gregg Williams' system is still pure genius. It has worked for so many years, and still will. Perhaps he got cocky and let the wrong players get away (Ryan Clark), and injuries hurt him in his secondary. But the system will still work if he can get another good safety who communicate well with Taylor, if he can get a run stopping force in the middle of the defensive line, and if he can get the CB play he needs.

Maybe that CB play comes from Springs next year, or maybe we sign/draft somebody, I dunno. But with those three things, GW will have us back on top. We don't need ends and we don't need LBs; at first glance the stats tell you that the ends and LBs are having down years. But that's more due to the weakness at other positions spilling over and affecting their play. It's still a team sport, even the great Marcus Washington is going to have a down year when he doesn't have DTs keeping linemen and fullbacks away from him.


I agree with your previous assesment of GWs defensive schemes, but I respectfully disagree that it's pure genius. Unless he allows more flexibility with his players to become playmakers, not just Sean Taylor, I think it's possible we'll see more of the same next year. Maybe not quite as bad, but nothing like the '04 campaign. Think about it, we'll return probably 90% of the same group we've seen this year, so if the personnel doesn't see any significant overhaul, then it he has to tweek his scheme somewhere, somehow.

Our defense has been on a steady decline since the '04 season, and I've long wondered if the rest of the NFL has figured him out. Since Williams has arrived we've consistently given up the big play. It's been the achilles of this team.

You don't think that drafting a MLB in the top ten will help us???? Marshal is not getting the tackles that he needs to. We need a big fast linebacker that can shed blocks and fill those gaps that the DT's create. You stop the run with your LB's filling the holes. Our run D is miserable, but other teams are not always picking up on that. The tampa game was a great illustration of our struggles.

If Lemar Marshall is so bad, how come he had such a good year in 2005? Did he forget how to play football? Or is it maybe that last year Salave'a was healthy and stout against opposing linemen, and paired nicely with Griffin in keeping offensive linemen from beating the Skins up?

Salave'a has not been healthy this season and has not been the immovable object he was in '04 or '05. Golston has some nice quick little moves in pass rushing situations, but he's undersized and gets plowed on running plays.

Put in a big ass DT, and all of a sudden you'll be praising Lemar Marshall again next year. He'll flow to the ball more freely.

I agree with your previous assesment of GWs defensive schemes, but I respectfully disagree that it's pure genius. Unless he allows more flexibility with his players to become playmakers, not just Sean Taylor, I think it's possible we'll see more of the same next year. Maybe not quite as bad, but nothing like the '04 campaign. Think about it, we'll return probably 90% of the same group we've seen this year, so if the personnel doesn't see any significant overhaul, then it he has to tweek his scheme somewhere, somehow.

Our defense has been on a steady decline since the '04 season, and I've long wondered if the rest of the NFL has figured him out. Since Williams has arrived we've consistently given up the big play. It's been the achilles of this team.

With all due respect, I think you're the one that needs to think about it. Football is a team sport, a defense is like a chain. One weak link and the whole thing breaks. This year we have weak links at SS and CB (hence we're exploited in the deep passing game, and consequently the LBs can't be turned loose to blitz) and a weak link at DT (the middle of the line gets plowed out of the way, consequently LBs can't flow into the gap to make tackles).

We don't need much tweaking of the scheme. It still works. We just need two or three players to solidify the weak links in the chain, and suddenly offensive coordinators won't have a place they can hone in on and attack. You can't blitz if you can't cover. And if you can't stop the run, it doesn't matter if you can't cover because teams will just run on you all day.

If any changes need to be made, it's in GW's attitude. He needs to be more humble and honest with himself in assessing what he needs to make his scheme click.

With all due respect, I think you're the one that needs to think about it. Football is a team sport, a defense is like a chain. One weak link and the whole thing breaks. This year we have weak links at SS and CB (hence we're exploited in the deep passing game, and consequently the LBs can't be turned loose to blitz) and a weak link at DT (the middle of the line gets plowed out of the way, consequently LBs can't flow into the gap to make tackles).

We don't need much tweaking of the scheme. It still works. We just need the players to make it work. You can't blitz if you can't cover. And if you can't stop the run, it doesn't matter if you can't cover because teams will just run on you all day.

If any changes need to be made, it's in GW's attitude. He needs to be more humble and honest with himself in assessing what he needs to make his scheme click.

I agree 100% on D-line's responsibilities, in any defensive scheme, the d-line's responsibility is to tie-up the o-line so the linebackers can make plays.

And in this year's draft there are 3 DTs that can do that in the top 10.

With all due respect, I think you're the one that needs to think about it. Football is a team sport, a defense is like a chain. One weak link and the whole thing breaks. This year we have weak links at SS and CB (hence we're exploited in the deep passing game, and consequently the LBs can't be turned loose to blitz) and a weak link at DT (the middle of the line gets plowed out of the way, consequently LBs can't flow into the gap to make tackles).

We don't need much tweaking of the scheme. It still works. We just need two or three players to solidify the weak links in the chain, and suddenly offensive coordinators won't have a place they can hone in on and attack. You can't blitz if you can't cover. And if you can't stop the run, it doesn't matter if you can't cover because teams will just run on you all day.

If any changes need to be made, it's in GW's attitude. He needs to be more humble and honest with himself in assessing what he needs to make his scheme click.

I agree that two players will indeed help. But if had those two players this year with the way we've played, I'm not sure it would make that much of a difference.

What we do agree on is that the scheme needs some tweaking, not overhauling, but some tweaking.