NFL Execs Question Roquan Smith's Positional Value..........

This is where I might disagree with them and I'm not alone.

I believe in Fangio's schemes there is huge value to having a "stacked" ILB like Smith who can range side line to side line and also drop in pass coverage much like Urlacher was able to do in Lovie's defense.  In a recent article I read another GM who saw it the same way and also valued strength in the middle.

In those defensive schemes who have great MLBs the idea is to take away the middle of the field as much as possible and force offenses into more limited choices outside he numbers. In the hey day of Lovie's defense it was very difficult to run between the tackles or throw into the deep middle due to Briggs and Urlacher.

Whenever you can take away choices from an offense you're forcing the to play your game and that is where Smith comes in since he's not only a great ranging run defender like Briggs but he has the speed of a very fast Safety which allows him to cover the slot and deep middle as Urlacher was able to do very effectively.

Wade Phillips doesn't run the same defense as Vic Fangio so their needs will differ a bit.  But even based on the formula stated we're following it nearly the same.

DE: Hicks got just a big extension, Edge; Floyd is 1st round pick and we're searching for another edge guy, CB; We locked up both starters, Safety; Jackson is on a cheap rookie deal but Amos is in line for an extension.

Unless Chubb was available we could not have drafted a higher positional value at #8 anyway and Smith was by far the BPA.  So my response to all this is put a sock in it.  Smith was absolutely the right pick.

not all 3-4s are created equal see 90s Bills and Bruce Smith

I will try again a bit later at home. Sorry?

Whisky Beer Bob or just post longer stuff